Freshmen had to re-learn science principles after leaving junior high
By Dean Narciso - Columbus Dispatch - 10/30/2008 - original

The principal of Mount Vernon High School became frustrated by teacher complaints that freshman students needed to be re-taught 8th grade science.

During the fifth day of a hearing to determine whether 8th-grade science teacher John Freshwater will keep his job, a medical doctor also testified that pictures of marks on a student who says Freshwater burned him with a lab instrument were "superficial" second degree burns that could produce underlying damage.

Freshwater is accused of burning a student, teaching religion in his science class and failing to follow the district's orders. Freshwater says the district wants to fire him because he refused to remove a Bible from his desk.

Mt. Vernon High School Principal Kathy Kasler testified that e-mails, teachers' comments and a teacher's surveys of her students showed that some 8th grade science students were being taught creationism, the religious belief that a deity created the universe.

Kasler received an e-mail in August from high school science teacher Bonnie Schutte reading in part:

"Teaching creationism is illegal and the state Department of Education is looking for the names of schools who are allowing this to happen so that they can make an example of them.

On surveys given by Schutte students stated: "We learned different looks on evolution" and "I liked debating about creation and evolution."

"I find it extremely unfair to have to start each school year re-teaching students how science actually works," Scutte wrote. "Professionally, I'm very tired of this."

Kasler said she's known of complaints about Freshwater for about seven years, and that she asked the middle school to assign her daughter to another science teacher.

Freshwater's attorney, R. Kelly Hamilton, asked Kasler how far she took her concerns about Freshwater. She said she advised other administrators, but didn't do more because Freshwater was not her employee.

"If she had problems with somebody, based on her years of experience, and her leadership training, she certainly could have taken further action," Hamilton concluded.

Photographs of marks that Freshwater is accused of making on the arm of Zachary Dennis were analyzed by a Youngstown doctor, who called them "superficial second-degree burns."

Dr. David Levy, chairman of emergency medicine at St. Elizabeth Health Center said that such burns can cause underlying damage and can be more dangerous to children, whose skin is thinner and moister than adults.

Levy also said that since electricity passes through arteries and nerves, "chaotic rhythms" of the heart could result.

Hamilton asked Levy whether high voltage metal balls popular at some science museums, and used to make hair stand on end, would be any safer that the device Freshwater used.

Levy replied: "Not necessarily."

The hearing continues through Friday. Attorney scheduling conflicts could postpone the hearing next week.