MOUNT VERNON — After his firing by the Mount Vernon City Schools was upheld in January, John Freshwater filed a charge of religious discrimination against the school district’s board of education.
In the filing with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Freshwater quoted contract termination hearing referee R. Lee Shepherd: “John Freshwater’s bias grew from his fervent and deep-seated Christian beliefs. Such beliefs and convictions, while admirable character traits in other settings, proved to be John Freshwater’s downfall as an eighth-grade science teacher in a public school.”
Freshwater also stated he was suspended without pay in June 2008, “because of not removing my Bible sitting on my desk.”
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Freshwater Controversy
The Civil Rights Commission conducted an investigation and found no credible information supporting Freshwater’s allegation of unlawful activity. It issued a letter of determination stating there is no probable cause to believe the school board engaged in unlawful discriminatory practice and ordered the matter to be dismissed.


