Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — It was standing room only in the Mount Vernon High School auditorium as more than 350 people decended upon the school board meeting Monday evening. Many individuals were there to show their support for middle school science teacher John Freshwater, others to support the school board. Of the 26 people who addressed the board, most expressed their support for Freshwater; a handful spoke in support of the board’s decision to terminate Freshwater’s teaching contract. Freshwater himself addressed the board, the first time he has done so since 2003.

Referring to a prepared written statement, Freshwater said, “I’ve been a public school teacher for 24 years — 21 years in this building. I take my responsibility for teaching seriously. And I feel like I’ve done a good job. I’ve done an excellent job. My personnel file, 240 pages of it, I have no reprimands. It’s clean. It’s absolutely clean, 240 pages. I have excellent evaluations. I have no written reprimands against me.

“It is my understanding that the members of this board of education have elected to have my termination hearing heard by a referee. A referee. Why not you? ... Because you have chosen not to hear the facts for yourself firsthand, I want to make certain there’s no confusion in the translation of the evidence and the testimony from the referee to the members of the board of education. No matter what you hear or perceive that you hear, I want you to know the following facts:

“One. I never, never branded or burnt a person. I have never branded or burnt myself. I have never branded or burnt or put a religious mark on my family. I have never done that to a student.

“Two: I never taught evolution and creation in a public classroom. (The written text reads, ‘I have never taught creationism nor intelligent design in a public classroom.’)

“Three: I have never taught anything in the public classroom that was prohibited by the mandates of the curriculum for state standards.

“Four: I have never exceeded the boundaries or the parameters established for being a teacher monitor, facilitator or supervisor of FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In fact, I never received any training about how to do so until this year. When I did receive that training, I was pleased to learn that I have been monitoring, facilitating and supervising exactly as mandated by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, (according to the document Superintendent Short had given me).

“I have been told that the members of the school board likely have a preconceived notion of the facts surrounding these untrue allegations. I pray that each one of you has the patience, the courage and the professionalism to be unbiased to proceed on target until after the facts have been presented. You have to keep coming back to this question: What makes sense here? What makes sense here? Why did it take so long to come up with the allegations against me, if I have been acting in violation for 21 years? The answer is, I have done nothing wrong. I have done nothing wrong. Please hear me on that.

“This case is, and remains to be, my abridged, my paraphrased personal Bible on my desk.”

Freshwater then left the stage to applause and a standing ovation by his supporters.

As the board moved into the regular business portion of the meeting, Freshwater and his attorney R. Kelly Hamilton talked with the news media.

Freshwater said he decided to come to the board meeting because people surrounding him called, “and the troops came out to support my Bible on the desk.” He said he was humbled by the massive show of support, and repeated what he told the board:

“I do not teach creationism or intelligent design. My [science] standards are evolution.

“I am what I am. I have a strong belief. ... All I want to do is put my personal Bible on my desk.”

Hamilton said it was important to remember that Monday night’s opportunity was for Freshwater to speak first hand to the school board because “the school board has elected to have a referee essentially hear the facts of the case and report back to them.”

“Because of that, John wanted the opportunity to look the school board members in the eye and tell them exactly and deny these allegations,” said Hamilton. “I think John did that and did so very effectively.”

Freshwater’s termination hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26. Hamilton said he expects it to last multiple days and involve many different witnesses. At that point, the mutually agreed upon referee, attorney R. Lee Shepard from Shelby, will have to make a decision and make a recommendation to the school board.

Freshwater will have the opportunity to present a defense, Hamilton continued, and will have the opportunity to call witnesses and to examine witnesses. Although the school board has made a motion to make it a closed hearing, Hamilton said he and Freshwater want a public hearing.

“Why should it be closed?” Freshwater asked. “It’s taxpayers’ money.”

“We want an open hearing,” Hamilton said, “because John has been castigated and tried in the court of public opinion. So, it’s only best to make certain the school board members are held accountable to the very public information that’s already been disseminated in an untruthful manner.”

When asked if he would miss being in the classroom the first day of school, Freshwater said, “Oh yes I will. Twenty-four years of doing it [teaching]. I have a passion for it. I love the kids. I wouldn’t be a teacher if I didn’t love kids.”

Fielding a comment that the investigation contradicted everything Freshwater said to the board, Hamilton said the investigation was one-sided. Referring to comments from others at the board meeting, Hamilton said, “You heard some of these people today who pointed out some very clear, credible accusations against the investigation, demonstrating it was not objective, and it did have a slant, a biased direction. Because of that, I think it’s very important we’re going to have an opportunity to challenge that.

“... Most importantly,” he continued, “that’s why we have the opportunity here in America — because it still is America — we have the opportunity to present our defense and we’re going to do exactly that. ”

Hamilton said part of what the defense will entail are the four points Freshwater presented to the board.

“John made them very passionately, very eloquently, very truthfully,” said Hamilton. “You had the opportunity to examine his credibility. You had the opportunity for him to stand in front of all those people and make those statements as he did. He did not have to. And I will tell you, originally I wasn’t necessarily in favor of that being done. But then again, John felt it was very important to do so.”

Asked whether the contoversy was about just one man, Hamilton replied, “It’s not about John Freshwater, Pastor Matolyak or his legal counsel. This is about a much bigger issue. And the bigger issue is: Can a man, a school teacher in a public setting, keep a Bible on his desk? That’s what this is truly all about. So, is this about one man or bigger than one man? I think this is exactly the essence of what John Freshwater and so many other people are all about. ... This whole issue is about a Bible on the desk. Everything else is what I’m going to call a smoke screen, and I think that we’re going to be able to demonstrate that it is a smoke screen.”