Teacher who burned cross into student’s arm lawsuit formally settled – Columbus Dispatch
John Freshwater is the middle school science teacher who was accused of burning crosses into his students’ arms and teaching Creationism. Since his firing in 2008, he’s been on “unpaid administrative leave pending an appeal.”
A Licking County judge has approved a settlement agreement between a Mount Vernon schools teacher and the family of a student who accused him of teaching religion in a public classroom.
The Nov. 23 ruling by Judge Robert H. Hoover of Licking County Probate Court approves the $450,000 settlement reached in August to compensate Stephen and Jenifer Dennis for mental pain and suffering, and their son, Zachary, for physical pain and sickness caused by John Freshwater, Zachary’s ninth-grade science teacher.
Included in the $450,000 settlement is an annuity of $150,000 to be paid over 13 years to Zachary, who now is enrolled in another school district. Jones Day, the law firm that represented the family, will get $25,000, which is apart from the $450,000 settlement. The money will be paid by Ohio Casualty, the district’s insurer.
A ruling is pending on a lengthy administrative hearing to determine whether Freshwater will be able to keep his job in Mount Vernon schools.
For more background on the John Freshwater case, read this New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/education/20teacher.html
Via: Religion-in-classroom suit formally settled | Columbus Dispatch Politics.
