Ethics

Students Being Harassed in Mt. Vernon School

By Ed Brayton

This was quite predictable, mostly because it is what always happens in such situations. Remember the situation in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where a teacher named John Freshwater is being investigated for a whole range of church/state violations? It's divided up the whole school and any kid who is viewed as not sufficiently enthusiastic in support of Freshwater is being harassed and bullied.

Beth Murdoch, whose daughter attends the middle school, is one of the parents who has expressed concerns about the sometimes hostile environment at the middle school.

"You're either for Mr. Freshwater or you're against Mr. Freshwater. There's no in between," Murdoch said. "In the kids' minds, I think, it is just the Bible issue. And who is going to go against the Bible? Nobody. But it seems like the 'Christians' are using that as an excuse to gang up on the 'atheists.'

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on May 08, 2008 (boomark / email).