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Small town teacher under investigation for burning crosses onto students arms

post #1 of 48
6/20/08 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 
http://columbusdispatch.com/live/con...3.html?sid=101

The investigation into this guy has been going on for a couple months now and there have been signs all over the town (which I live very close to) saying the kid should be kicked out of school and the teacher is not in the wrong. There have been reports of kids that are not Christian being harrassed and even attacked by groups of Christian kids. It is the craziest thing I have ever seen.
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post #2 of 48
6/20/08 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by the article
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 investigation report includes a photo of one student's arm with a long vertical line and a short horizontal line running through it.
Um, so as long as it's not a religious symbol, it's okay to burn your students? Makes you wonder what happened to good old-fashioned ass-paddles and whipping rods.
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post #3 of 48
6/20/08 at 10:37am


Picture of the teacher.
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post #4 of 48
6/20/08 at 10:38am
Awesome.
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post #5 of 48
6/20/08 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Columbus Dispatch
Freshwater's friend Dave Daubenmire defended him.

"With the exception of the cross-burning episode. … I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district," he said.
Yeah, except for that pesky maiming of our kids for life, he's a swell guy.
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post #6 of 48
6/20/08 at 11:21am
"I will not tell lies"
"I will not tell lies"
"I will not tell lies"
"I will not tell lies"
"I will not tell lies"
"I will not tell lies"
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post #7 of 48
6/20/08 at 11:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Baker View Post
The investigation into this guy has been going on for a couple months now and there have been signs all over the town saying the kid should be kicked out of school and the teacher is not in the wrong.

Well, he does look a little old to still be in school..

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post #8 of 48
6/20/08 at 11:30am
Tati wins!

eek...Trejo wins!

Dammit. I'm confused.
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post #9 of 48
6/20/08 at 11:52am
Nice effort by Tati, but he tried to associate unholy Christian beliefs with Gilles.

Trejo's nice Hail Mary pass to Mr. Neil for the touchdown is conclusive and thus the clear winner.
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post #10 of 48
6/20/08 at 12:14pm
I hate the fact that any provocation makes sanctimonious, mindless retards like Mr. Freshwater even more fervent in their efforts within the 'culture war'.
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post #11 of 48
6/20/08 at 12:18pm
This went on for 11 years?! What the hell kind of ass-backwards hicksville is this? I would fuck that guy up if he did this to my kid.
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post #12 of 48
6/20/08 at 12:22pm
Clearly you don't have Jesus in your heart, gravedigger.
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post #13 of 48
6/20/08 at 12:23pm
Wait, it took ELEVEN years of complaints before their Board of Ed stepped in?
Nice.

ETA: ACK! Beat by Gravedigger!
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post #14 of 48
6/20/08 at 12:32pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, it took eleven years of complaints for the board to do something. The sad thing is that people are still acting like Christianity is being attacked. There have been vigils on the town square in support of Freshwater, doctors, lawyers, stores and gas stations have had signs saying they support him but this was before the investigation results started being released.
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post #15 of 48
6/20/08 at 12:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Baker View Post
The sad thing is that people are still acting like Christianity is being attacked.
Of course. These people feed off of feigning victimization at every turn. I grew up with fundamentalists who did the exact same shit every time, and you could have set a clock to their schedule of righteous indignation.
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post #16 of 48
6/20/08 at 2:36pm
someone going to hell for this

Leviticus 19:28
" 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
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post #17 of 48
6/20/08 at 3:35pm
Thread Starter 
Some more info on this teacher.

He had students watching "Expelled" for an extra credit assignment.
He had two boxes of bibles in his classroom, which some people alleged he was trying to get students to pass out to other students.
Apparently he also had bibles sitting all around his room on desks and lab tables.

It's amazing this guy wasn't investigated sooner.
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post #18 of 48
6/20/08 at 3:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Baker View Post
Some more info on this teacher.

He had students watching "Expelled" for an extra credit assignment.
He had two boxes of bibles in his classroom, which some people alleged he was trying to get students to pass out to other students.
Apparently he also had bibles sitting all around his room on desks and lab tables.

It's amazing this guy wasn't investigated sooner.

To bad he never read them, or he would have never been braining his students. I am wonder were the town ministers were when this was going on. I would think at least one of them would point out what he was doing is a sin, but that just me.
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post #19 of 48
6/20/08 at 3:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eenin View Post
someone going to hell for this

Leviticus 19:28
" 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
I think you just broke this shit wide open.
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post #20 of 48
6/20/08 at 3:49pm
I don't think it really matters waht Levicitus says to any sane people - it has plenty of rules in there no one (including Christians) follow today, and wasn't meant to apply to us today.

Branding children is wrong. I don't think we need a Bible to tell us this.
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post #21 of 48
6/20/08 at 3:52pm
But how can we be sure?
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post #22 of 48
6/20/08 at 4:14pm
I get real confused and violent when I don't have a holy book to answer my questions.
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post #23 of 48
6/20/08 at 4:21pm
What the hell type of weak ass branding is that? Man, the school system has really gone down hill, back when I was in school you knew how to fucking brand.
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post #24 of 48
6/20/08 at 4:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werewolf Girl View Post
I get real confused and violent when I don't have a holy book to answer my questions.
Have you read "The Secret", sister?
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post #25 of 48
6/20/08 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pagoda View Post
I don't think it really matters waht Levicitus says to any sane people - it has plenty of rules in there no one (including Christians) follow today, and wasn't meant to apply to us today.

Branding children is wrong. I don't think we need a Bible to tell us this.
the Nt say the same thing in it at some point, just don't feel like looking for it.
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post #26 of 48
6/21/08 at 1:38am
Thread Starter 
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live...n.html?sid=101

The school board voted to fire the teacher, thankfully.
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post #27 of 48
6/22/08 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minsky View Post
But how can we be sure?
Brand it on you so you don't forget?
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post #28 of 48
6/23/08 at 3:21pm
Quote:
"With the exception of the cross-burning episode. … I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district,"
Maybe so, but that's not a teacher's job.
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post #29 of 48
6/23/08 at 3:59pm
I'm surprised the "values" out there include sending children to public school.
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post #30 of 48
6/23/08 at 4:05pm
Quote:
"With the exception of the cross-burning episode..."
...ranks right up there with "racism and eugenics aside..."
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post #31 of 48
10/31/08 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
The contract termination trial for this teacher is going on this week. Another student came forward and said Freshwater burned him. It seems like he is definitely going to be fired. The towns folk are a lot less outspoken because it is apparent this is not just some unfair attack. This whole thing might end soon.
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post #32 of 48
10/31/08 at 2:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Baker View Post
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live...n.html?sid=101

The school board voted to fire the teacher, thankfully.
To fire the teacher? Wow, that is a harsh punishment?

Isn´t that some kind of felony? This, considering that it is even going on for eleven fucking years, would put you in jail over here.

Please tell me I am missing something since I somehow can´t access the article.
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post #33 of 48
10/31/08 at 3:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jan View Post
To fire the teacher? Wow, that is a harsh punishment?

Isn´t that some kind of felony? This, considering that it is even going on for eleven fucking years, would put you in jail over here.

Please tell me I am missing something since I somehow can´t access the article.
The article is about the school board's decision, specifically. Traditionally, school boards don't have the authority to jail abusive teachers, just fire them. I assume that some parents have pressed or will press charges against the guy - that just doesn't have anything to do with the school board.
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post #34 of 48
10/31/08 at 3:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
The article is about the school board's decision, specifically. Traditionally, school boards don't have the authority to jail abusive teachers, just fire them. I assume that some parents have pressed or will press charges against the guy - that just doesn't have anything to do with the school board.
I am aware that the school board does not have any jurisdiction. But if this case like this would happen here the attorney office would be legally obliged to investigate and ultimately press charges if the moments of suspicion get solidified.

Sorry for the misunderstanding but I was just curious why there have been no mentioning of any legal procedures so far in this thread. Now I know why.
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post #35 of 48
10/31/08 at 4:05pm
Thread Starter 
Actually, there has been no mention of criminal charges of any kind. The investigation was done at the cost of the school board. It is pretty insane.
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post #36 of 48
10/31/08 at 4:10pm
You'd have to think that this would lead to something:

Quote:
The family of the boy filed a lawsuit last week against Freshwater and district officials, claiming the boy's civil rights were violated.
Granted, it's long after the fact and it's messed up that there wasn't a criminal investigation right off the bat, but I get the feeling that the loss of his job may be just the beginning of this guy's problems.
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post #37 of 48
11/3/08 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake View Post
Clearly you don't have Jesus in your heart, gravedigger.
The power of Christ IMPALES you!



I'm interested to find out about this teacher and community's stance on dancing and Kevin Bacon.
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post #38 of 48
11/3/08 at 7:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacob Singer View Post
...ranks right up there with "racism and eugenics aside..."
Exactly the line that came to mind.
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post #39 of 48
6/16/09 at 11:36am
Thread Starter 
Well, I haven't updated this since last year but this guys termination hearing is still not over. In the last week or so he has filed a federal lawsuit against certain board members, numerous John and Jane Does, and pretty much anyone else who has been involved in this. It's pretty crazy.

On a side note, last month a hispanic kid and his black friend were attacked in this same town. The black kid ran away but the people caught the hispanic kid and tied a rope around his neck. They apparently dragged him around and said they were going to hang him in the town square until some passerby broke it up.

God, I hate this town.
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post #40 of 48
6/16/09 at 11:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Baker View Post
On a side note, last month a hispanic kid and his black friend were attacked in this same town. The black kid ran away but the people caught the hispanic kid and tied a rope around his neck. They apparently dragged him around and said they were going to hang him in the town square until some passerby broke it up.
What? What the fuck?
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post #41 of 48
6/16/09 at 11:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Baker View Post
On a side note, last month a hispanic kid and his black friend were attacked in this same town. The black kid ran away but the people caught the hispanic kid and tied a rope around his neck. They apparently dragged him around and said they were going to hang him in the town square until some passerby broke it up.
See? This is what happens if you loose your faith in christianity. Without this teacher and the great disturbance of the faith none of this would happened.
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post #42 of 48
6/16/09 at 11:57am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
What? What the fuck?
Yeah, thats what I said. One 18 year old has been charged and luckily the kid wasn't hurt very badly but it is still mind numbing that this could happen, even more crazy that it was in broad daylight.

ETA: I forgot to mention the large number of people I have heard saying this was just a regular high school fight and the two minority kids are using their minority status to get attention. No, I'm not kidding.
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post #43 of 48
6/16/09 at 12:03pm
It's OK guys, they probably just thought the Hispanic kid was an Arab. It was all a misunderstanding.
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post #44 of 48
6/16/09 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Baker View Post
ETA: I forgot to mention the large number of people I have heard saying this was just a regular high school fight and the two minority kids are using their minority status to get attention. No, I'm not kidding.
To be fair, that's the common white people response. Not saying that it's right, but white privilege tends to show the worst in people when it comes to these sorts of things. It's easier for them to diminish what happened because their rationale = it happened to minorities, who are always acting a fool and can't do anything without hurting/killing each other or well-meaning whitefolk who are as innocent as the pure driven snow.
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post #45 of 48
6/16/09 at 1:35pm
Jesus wants to firebomb this town
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post #46 of 48
8/27/09 at 3:27pm
Thread Starter 
Well, the Mount Vernon school district settled one of its federal suits yesterday. The family of the boy who was burned by the teacher accepted a settlement that paid their lawyer fees and gave their son $5,500. Now they have a suit pending against the teacher. The school board though still has the suit pending from the teacher.

http://mountvernonnews.com/local/09/...ederal-lawsuit
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post #47 of 48
8/27/09 at 10:15pm
Dan can I ask what compells you to stay in what sounds like a truely horrific place for a rational human being to live???

Is it the power of christ that compells you?
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post #48 of 48
8/27/09 at 11:23pm
Thread Starter 
Honestly, I'm content here. I don't delude myself into thinking I would be any kind of a success anywhere else and I already have what is most important to me, my wife and kids. I have a decent job that I hate but it pays the bills. I have good friends and a decent family. I'll grant you that I am almost completely surrounded by utter morons but I'm not exactly an intellectual wiz and around here I seem like a smart guy.

Also, check out the County Fair thread, it should give you a pretty good glimpse into how I feel about where I live.
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