MOUNT VERNON — The termination hearing of Mount Vernon Middle School teacher John Freshwater has once again been delayed.
Scheduled to resume today, Superintendent Steve Short said today’s session was canceled by referee R. Lee Shepherd. Additional defense witnesses are expected to take the stand when the hearing resumes Friday.
Last spring, the school board launched an investigation into allegations of professional misconduct by Freshwater, and the investigative report by an independent firm concluded that he caused physical harm to a student during a science experiment, overstepped his bounds as a monitor of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, promoted particular religious beliefs in the classroom while denigrating others, and was insubordinate in refusing to follow directives from school administrators.
Freshwater, currently suspended without pay, requested a hearing to contest the board’s intent to terminate his teaching contract and maintains the board wants to fire him for simply keeping a personal Bible on his classroom desk.