Update on something reported in an earlier blog: In an item headlined "Teacher dismissed over Bible sues district: Seeks $1 million damages, reinstatement to science post" on June 13, 2009 WorldNetDaily reported that a public school teacher fired by an Ohio district after he was accused of having a Bible on his classroom desk and burning a "cross" into a student's arm with a scientific device has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the district, seeking $1 million in damages plus reinstatement to his position as an 8th-grade science teacher. This newsletter had items in previous editions about this incident of apparent anti-Christian bias in schools. John Freshwater has been suspended without pay since July of 2008 by the Mount Vernon School District in Mount Vernon, OH. The vote by the school board a year ago came after Freshwater was accused of having a Bible on his classroom desk and also using a highi-frequency generator – a Tesla coil – to make a cross on the arms of students, a mark that faded after a short time. A spokesman for Freshwater, Dave Daubenmire, confimred that Freshwater kept a 28-year-old copy of "The Living Bible – Paraphrased" on his desk because "he receives personal inspiration from the presence of the book." But he said he did not display or reference the Bible in the classroomand had not used the Bible in his interaction with students, and he didn't follow instructions to remove the Bible because "other teachers employed by Defendant Board had various personal Bibles on their desks." Daubenmire, of Pass The Salt Ministries and Minutemen United, also explained that the "cross branding" was nothing of the sort. He characterized it as a science experiment Freshwater had been doing for 21 years in which he made X marks, not crosses, on the students' skin with a Tesa Coil to demonstrate electrical current. "They tried to make it out to be a cross, because it made him look like some kind of idiot," Daubenmire said of two parents who had sued the school and Freshwater over the issue. Daubenmire pointed out experts have affirmed the experiment causes no injury to students. The suit was filed by lawyers for Freshwater in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, against the Mount Vernon School District in Mount Vernon, Ohio, by attorney R. Kelly Hamilton and alleges 16 counts including violations of Freshwater's First and 14th Amendment rights of free speech, free association and free exercise of religion. It alleges that the defendants "deprived Freshwater of his rights secured and provided by the United States Constitution" and "discriminated, harassed, and are attempting to terminate the employment of Plaintiff Freshwater because Freshwater kept his personal Bible on his desk." Other "false allegations" have been made in an attempt to discredit him, according to the lawsuit. The complaint traces the alleged attacks by the school on Freshwater to his teaching of science, which included encouragement that his students question and analyze scientific theories such as evolution. The case alleges the defendants also violated state regulations and created a hostile work environment for him.

     Even when you have a good teacher in public schools...: In an item headlined "Teacher fired for conservative website" Pete Chagnon of OneNewsNow reported on 6/23/2009 that Kansas teacher says he was wrongfully terminated for his conservative views. Tim Latham has been teaching history and U.S. Government for over 19 years. But after teaching for just one year in the Lawrence School District in Lawrence, Kansas, Latham says his contract was not renewed because school officials did not like his conservative views -- particularly a teacher website that Latham hosted and paid for himself. A teacher coach confronted him on that issue. "She had concerns about it. I've never had a complaint about it -- nothing but compliments. Parents love it because of their access to assignments, grades, etc. And she wanted a lot of the stuff that was on it removed. And when I asked why, I was told because it was too patriotic." Latham had an introductory video on the site where he stated that he wanted students to truly love the American way of life, and he says he was told to remove that as well because not everybody loves the American way of life. According to Latham, other complaints included that he was picking on Obama too much. When he asked for an explanation as to why his contract was not renewed he was told, "You refuse to conform" and "you just don't fit in." "Those are word-for-word quotes given to me by the director of human resources, who says he is quoting what the administration told him -- I refuse to conform and I just don't fit in," Latham notes. He has since filed a grievance and is considering litigation if he does not get a satisfactory response. GOOD NEWS FOLLOW UP: Pete Chagnon reported on 6/25/2009 that after considering the grievance, the school superintendent stated that there were "inconsistencies in the evaluation process" and that "Mr. Latham's teaching contract with the District should, and will be continued...."  (Of course, that didn't stop the leftists from trying to have him fired in the first place!)