Science teacher's hearing resumes

Friday, April 30, 2010 2:49 AM

By Dean Narciso
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - Participants hope to wrap up a hearing on whether John Freshwater should keep his teaching job by sometime in June, but sessions could resume next fall, they said yesterday.

The administrative hearing started almost two years ago after Mount Vernon school board members voted that they intended to fire the eighth-grade science teacher for teaching creationism and intelligent design, failing to remove religious materials from his classroom after being told to do so, and burning crosses on students' arms.

The hearing appeared to end three months ago, but Freshwater's attorney, R. Kelly Hamilton, never closed his case.

The hearing resumed yesterday and is to continue today. At least three additional dates are scheduled for early June, and both sides have agreed not to hold any sessions during the summer school break, because witnesses will be difficult to schedule.

Once the hearing is concluded, the referee will make a recommendation to the board, which can take final action. Freshwater has been suspended without pay.

Hamilton has subpoenaed 16 additional witnesses since Jan. 15, when Freshwater and the school board received an anonymous letter telling them about materials allegedly taken from his classroom that might exonerate him.

The items include textbooks with handwritten notes that Freshwater testified would illustrate his science-teaching techniques at Mount Vernon Middle School.

David Millstone, attorney for the school district, said the items have always been available.

"Had they asked for it, I could care less," he said. "There's nothing there."

Several former students testified yesterday that Freshwater touched students' arms with an electrostatic lab instrument to illustrate electricity. But each denied that anyone was forced to participate.

From: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/30/science-teachers-hearing-resumes.html?sid=101