MOUNT VERNON — Not realizing that the termination hearing for Mount Vernon Middle School teacher John Freshwater was rescheduled from the original date of Tuesday to Oct. 1, the Rev. Ted Snyder and his family drove from their home in Rochester, N.Y., to Mount Vernon’s Public Square to rally in support of the suspended teacher.
“We are traveling,” said Snyder, who held up a large sign on a tall pole. “We are missionaries.”
The text on one side of his sign was “When a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, Catholic, Moonie, Homosexual, Evolutionist, Wiccan, etc. shares his beliefs, they call it diversity. When a Christian shares his beliefs, they call it a crime.”
The other side was lettered with the words, “It’s not a crime in America to be a Christian Yet! But by God’s law, it is a crime not to be a Christian.”
Snyder said his family was accompanied by a family from Millersburg. The children carried signs with religious text and Bible scripture, and approached passersby to offer tracts that explained, in the words of one little girl in pigtails, “How to get saved so you can go to heaven.”
One young woman was clad in a vest with “Hell is truth realized too late” printed on the back.
Snyder said he learned of the local controversy by reading the newspaper.
“We thought we’d come out in support of Mr. Freshwater,” he said.
By coincidence, a prayer group met on the square at the same time. Sitting in lawn chairs, they prayed and sang, as they have done weekly for eight years. The Rev. Don Matolyak of Trinity Assembly of God Worship Center said the group meets at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, but this summer decided to meet outdoors on the square.
Freshwater, who said he hadn’t been able to join the prayer group in more than a year, was in attendance. Suspended from his job by the Mount Vernon school board because of allegations of professional misconduct, Freshwater said he was able to attend the noon meeting because he isn’t working.
The two groups said they did not know each other or about the other’s plans. Prayer group participants stopped to talk to Snyder and shake his hand.
Freshwater said he was amazed at the coincidence.
“It’s the first time I’ve been able to be here in a long time,” he said, “and I thought, ‘Wow.’”
He said his attorney, Kelly Hamilton, called his cell phone as Freshwater arrived on the square, and said Hamilton had received several calls on Tuesday inquiring if the hearing was still scheduled.
“It’s kind of coincidental,” Freshwater said of the two events on the square. “This was not orchestrated. It’s kind of neat how it happened, though.”
Matolyak, who is Freshwater’s pastor, said the prayer group — comprised of pastors and laypeople — meets weekly to pray for the community.
“We pray for him,” Matolyak said, indicating Freshwater, “we pray for the churches. We pray for every facet of the community, schools, businesses, whatever is on people’s hearts. We pray for people who are in life-struggle situations and people who don’t know the Lord. Whosoever may come, please come.”
Matolyak added that he and other Freshwater supporters have formed the Community Council for Free Expression in the wake of his parishioner’s suspension.
At approximately 2 p.m., Snyder rolled up his sign and he and his family left the square.
