If you are a Christian science teacher, placing your personal bible on your desk for all to see can be written off as eccentric. When you preach from that same bible, you cross from eccentric into nutball land. When you place the ten commandments in your classroom and preach from the bible while asking your students to convert to Christianity, you become a dangerous nutball. When you add branding your students with a cross, you become a fucking fundie nutball (the highest level on the nutball scale).
John Freshwater - you are a fucking fundie nutball.
According to a parent complaint, John Freshwater used an electrostatic device to burn crosses onto students' arms. One of the students said the pain was so severe it prevented him from sleeping at night.
Source: Mt. Vernon officials to investigate teacher allegations
The Bad Science Blog has a good write up on the wacko.
Pharyngula has a great post on this issue - Fire John Freshwater... for the right reason.
I've added Pass the Salt Ministries to my fundie watch list. "Coach Dave" is John Freshwaters primary supporter. He has organized at least one demonstration outside of the school where John Freshwater still teaches. I am sure he will continue to use Freshwater's antics to draw attention to his asinine cause.
11 comments:
Ah, Dave Daubenmire. I have written about him extensively. Totally depraved dickweed. His son was convicted of a child pornography charge, and I have it from one of his relatives that they hate him.
You can find some of my favorite posts about ex-Coach Dave Daubenmire here,
here, here, and here.
Daubenmire really brings out my best. Complete wanker.
HJ
I love it when they call these things a 'witch hunt' lol- after all, they are the ones that perfected that particular monstrosity that is now coming back to bite them in the ass
What I cannot understand is- if this thing happened in the UK he would be suspended until the investigation proved or disproved the allegations- why is he still allowed access to children?
I was a student of Mr. Freshwater's about 8 years ago. I can tell you from personal experience that the media (as usual) has twisted this story into something completely out of nutjob world. This science experiment is something done by several at the school. The 'cross' was an 'x' where he marked to show where the electricity would enter through. Done completely on a volunteer basis only.
And the bible has been on his desk for over 20 years. He read it on his spare time but never opened it during a class. It was known he loved Jesus, but it was no different than the Biology II teacher I had who displayed EVOLUTION in huge letters on his whiteboard.
Thanks Ashley. it is good to get some perspective from somebody who has first hand experience.
John Freshwater does not deserve the crap that you are giving him. Never once in the many years that he has taught at Mount Vernon Middle School has he ever picked up that Bible and started to preach to his students, nor has he ever tried to convert the kids over to christianity. THe electrostatic device that you say he used to "brand crosses into students arms" was mearly a science demonstration. the cross was really an x and was to show at what point the electricity would pass into the body. as for it leaving any mark at all or causing severe lasting pain; that is total bull. Yeah it hurts and shocks a little at first but thats what electricity does.
He has been named "Teacher of the Year" twice. If the electric shock is so bad, he would have been fired long before now, and not because of a Bible.
Where do free speech rights enter into this discussion? Where does freedom of religion enter into it?
There is no freedom of religion in public schools as a teacher. This guy is atrocious and should be slammed. If my child was in that class, I'd pull him out and be sueing too. And I would be hard-pressed not to walk in his class and break his nose, among other things.
A clarification to your article:
The report by the investigators for the school only alleged one instance of someone being burned by the electrostatic device—not “students,” just “student.” (The other instances were not described by the HR On Call Inc report as burns.) The only evidence offered by the report was a couple of photos of the child’s arm and the testimony of that anonymous child that Freshwater was responsible. The investigators believed the child’s story, but were unable to duplicate the burning effect when they tried the device on themselves at full voltage. Another teacher from that school gave testimony at the August 4th Mount Vernon school board meeting about whether burning with the device was possible.
I was in his class last year. He was my favorite teacher and this is all a bunch of bull shit. He is a great man and great teacher .
Just sending an update that this crap is still going on. http://mountvernonnews.com/local/09/05/07/teacher-hearing-resumes
John Freshwater was my science teacher in 1994 and my mom worked at the middle school with him for over a decade. I saw the science experiment and in no way is it what the boy and some media are saying it was! He was a good teacher and didn't teach his personal beliefs in class. If he wants to have a Bible on his desk who cares! If he wants to have a Koran on his desk, who cares! If he wants a copy of the Kama Sutra on his desk, who cares! Isn't it a free country, the book itself isn't doing anything there!!! I am saddened by all the hate this case brings out in some people who are quick to accuse and judge without knowing someone. John Freshwater is a good man and I stand behind him.
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