Teacher’s ‘branding’ case opens religious divide
by Tim Jones
Los Angeles Times, p. A23
August 15, 2008
John Freshwater, who teaches science, is said to have burned a student in class. But for some, his creationist beliefs are the crux.
Mt. Vernon, Ohio — It’s the kind of story that turns heads and stomachs alike, especially in a small town. A well-known and popular middle school science teacher known for strong religious beliefs is charged with branding the shape of a cross onto the forearm of an eighthgrader.
The teacher is in big and possibly career-ending trouble, a quiet college town is bitterly divided and the Bible is at the center of it.
