A middle-school science teacher is accused of preaching Christianity during class and branding some of his students with crosses.

An independent investigation conducted on behalf of the school district concluded that John Freshwater used an “electrostatic device” to burn the religious symbols onto the arms of multiple students last December.

“Freshwater told investigators the marks were X’s, not crosses. But all of the students interviewed in the investigation reported being branded with crosses,” the paper says. “The investigation report includes a photo of one student’s arm with a long vertical line and a short horizontal line running through it.”

The Dispatch says parents had complained for years that Freshwater taught intelligent design and discredited evolution in his Mount Vernon, Ohio, classroom. Now they’re suing the school district in federal court…

In the name of God…




  1. thisguy says:

    Only sueing? Shouldn’t this wacko be thrown in jail for child abuse? WTF!

  2. Ben says:

    Was this a science teacher or a Scientology teacher? The burning symbols in people’s arms is not a teaching of Christianity.

  3. qsabe says:

    When superstition is allowed to flourish there are no limits on the foolishness we can expect to have forced upon us. This guy is no different than the Taliban folks, just a different version of the same thing.

  4. Mister Mustard says:

    This is clearly an abuse of the device. The BD-10A is listed on the Electro-Technic Products website under “Leak/ Pinhole Detection”, rather than “Science Teaching Apparatus”.

    http://tinyurl.com/6r4t46

    There’s something missing from this story though. Why was the guy burning crosses into students’ arms? The implication here on dvorak dot org slash blog, in compliance with Dvorak’s law, is that it was some sort of dark Christian ritual, designed to bring student’s under the spell of Mr. Freshwater’s god.

    It’s a long way from teaching creationism on the sly in public schools to scarring students with a potentially lethal device.

    I bet we’re not getting the whole story here.

  5. God is my Co-Pirate says:

    Well, those kiddies won’t forget that lesson. Maybe next week one of them will get their little ass nailed to a cross.

  6. erik says:

    Why was he burning crosses on the kiddies?

    Because he’s another looneybird that christians feel duty-bound to defend. He’s one of your kin, MM.

  7. Zybch says:

    #4 he did it because he is a freaking nutcase christian asshole who thinks that some invisible sky daddy with a long white beard who watches us go to the bathroom and has a special place filled with fire and brimstone and burning for eternity if we don’t follow his paranoid and ignorant laws 24/7 (but LOVES us all) wanted him to spread the ‘message’ of christ by burning what was originally a pagan symbol which was co-opted by christianity (like all of its myths and stuff anyway) into the flesh of schoolkids.

  8. Mister Mustard says:

    #6 – Erik

    >>Because he’s another looneybird that
    >>christians feel duty-bound to defend. He’s
    >>one of your kin, MM.

    Blow it out your ass, Erik. He’s no more my “kin” than Stalin and Pol Pot are yours.

    And have you seen anyone defending the guy? Or are you such an eager lapdog, seeking to obey Dvorak’s Law, that you just fantasize someone is defending him?

    Grow up, sonny.

  9. Mister Mustard says:

    #7 – Zybch

    Christ, you REALLY have to lay off the crystal meth. You sound exactly like the raving lunatics you seek to lampoon.

  10. Mister Mayonnaise says:

    This is only the beginning. I see no evidence that the slide into the new religious dark age is slowing. In a few years we’ll be marveling that we were upset about a small thing like burning crosses into students arms and preaching the buy-bull in science class.

  11. bobbo says:

    #8–Mustard==did you say: “He’s no more my “kin” than Stalin and Pol Pot are yours.” /// Gee, you mean all atheists aren’t alike? I guess at least to a matter of degree. Progress.

  12. Mister Mustard says:

    Mr. Mayo…..you’re so derivative. So unoriginal. Think up a new food class, would you? Condiments are already taken.

    As to your silly statement about a “slide into the new religious dark age”, pffffft. Militant Atheists wield more power now than ever. I just hope it doesn’t get to the point where teachers are burning “666” into students’ arms.

    You militant radicals are more dangerous to society than that which you oppose.

  13. Mister Mayonnaise says:

    Mr. Mustard, “666” is a religious-derived symbol.

  14. Mister Mustard says:

    >>Gee, you mean all atheists aren’t alike? I
    >>guess at least to a matter of degree.
    >>Progress.

    Bobster, if you’re just discovering my views after all this time, you really haven’t been paying attention, have you?

  15. Mister Mustard says:

    >>Mr. Mustard, “666″ is a
    >>religious-derived symbol.

    So is “HELL“man’s (you know, your manufacturer).

    As I said before, you militant radicals are more dangerous to society than that which you oppose.

    Intolerance is a defining characteristic of the weak, impotent bully.

    That’s why I’m sticking with Miracle Whip.

  16. julieb says:

    Cripes, as much as I hate to, I have to go with MM on this one.

    Surely the students volunteered. I would at least think it’s safe to say the mark was not required to pass the class. The outcry would be different if so. Like MM said, there is more to this story.

    And I have never heard MM advocate marking anyone with religious symbols as part of some doctrine.

    That still doesn’t mean god exists but lets be reasonable here.

  17. Mister Mayonnaise says:

    Mister Mustard, another characteristic of the weak, impotent bully is “projection”. Looking back at the thread, who went on the attack and is now crying about bullies? Very Christian of you, yellow man.

  18. TOMMM says:

    He is a member of the local Asembly og God Denomination, the same Denomination that gave of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Benny Him, Jerry lee Lewis and of course Elvis.

    This has been local news for quite awhile and the Previous School administrator Mr Maley was quite bad and the new Administrator is having to clean up a number of messes

    The Columbus Dispatch has the 15 page investigative report on this teacher.

    This teacher is a radical and he will not go down without a fight, and I’m afraid this will drag out for along time because he is a tenured union member teacher who has several wacko organizions behind him.

    I just sent my property taxes, And I’m afraid of how much is going to be spent to get rid of the guy.

    The School board has just voted to fire him, here come the appeals!

  19. bobbo says:

    #15–Mustard==I think I know your positions well enough. How do atheists wield power? Your example would be Stalin and Pol Pot.

    And yet you would argue that religionist killing people are going against their faith.

    Its a very religious dogma you demonstrate. Everything good is god and religious, everything evil is not god and from atheists.

    You may quibble, but that is a close distillation.

  20. Mister Mayonnaise says:

    julieb, I love your reasoning! If the kids volunteered, it must be ok to burn crosses in their arms. Let’s see, what else would the kids volunteer to do? Hey, how about gladiator contests in the gym, no holds barred? Or here’s another one: forget science (too hard), let’s just hear buy-bull stories that hour. Yes I agree, if the kids volunteer, then it really cannot be faulted.

  21. Mister Mustard says:

    >>Very Christian of you, yellow man.

    Holy shit! Where’s “J” when you need him!? What next, you call me a jigaboo? A spic?

    Sit down and STFU, son. You’re not worthy to wear the Condiment badge of honor.

  22. JimD says:

    Photos at link in story show a long vertical with a short horizontal bar – typical Christian Cross !!! Anyway, a equal length angled X is a St Andrews Cross, ANOTHER RELIGIOUS SYMBOL !!! So this Religious NUT-CASE has NO EXCUSE !!! Give him the HEAVE-HO !!!

  23. Mister Mustard says:

    #21 – Mr. Sebum

    >>julieb, I love your reasoning!

    I think anyone with a brain in their head realizes that there’s more to this story than was reported in the article.

    It’s always a lot of fun on dvorak dot org slash blog to bash the poor, deluded Christians, but you’re going to have to do better than some half-assed story about evil Christian teachers burning the flesh of unwitting students in public school.

  24. Mister Mayonnaise says:

    Most mustard I see is yellow. “Yellow”, conveniently, is also the epithet for the coward. Nothing to do with race, Mr Yellow.

  25. Mister Mayonnaise says:

    but you’re going to have to do better than some half-assed story about evil Christian teachers burning the flesh of unwitting students in public school.

    Exactly my original point, Mr. Yellow. I suspect we most certainly will see “better”* so that eventually, teaching the buy-bull in science class and offering cross brands will seem quite tame.

    *giving away your not-so-secret approval, Mr. Yellow?

  26. Mr. Tabasco says:

    Messrs. Mustard and Mayonnaise: Can’t we all just get along?

    Also, what ever happened to Mister Catsh*t? Best. Screenname. Ever.

  27. QB says:

    It’s more than just the teacher folks:

    “We have tried to keep this a private matter and hesitate to tell the whole story to the media for fear that we will be retaliated against.”

    These kids were coerced through fear and the parents are worried about retaliation. Silly bugger stuff has been going on for years and the school/board have done nothing about it. There’s a lot more than meets the eye.

  28. julieb says:

    You guys need to lay off the personal attacks. Can’t we even discuss a news article with insulting each other?

  29. QB says:

    “Also, what ever happened to Mister Catsh*t? Best. Screenname. Ever.”

    I am kind of impressed with the Mr Tabasco nom de plume. Fresh twist on a tired condiment theme. Also, who is this maniac who masquerades as John C. Dvorak? That cheap knock off wouldn’t hold his Zinfandel worth beans against the real thing…


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