MOUNT VERNON — A lawsuit was filed Friday in the southern district court on behalf of a student at the Mount Vernon Middle School. The federal suit alleges civil rights violations by the Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education, superintendent Stephen Short, middle school principal William White and science teacher John Freshwater.
The allegations assert that during the 2007-08 school year Freshwater violated the United States Constitution as well as the policy of the Mount Vernon School district, and has not been disciplined for those violations. According to the complaint, previous to April 2008 Freshwater displayed the Ten Commandments, religious posters and Bible passages within his classroom and kept several Bibles in his classroom which were not for his personal use. He also allegedly taught students in his eighth-grade science class his own religious beliefs, including the meaning of Easter and Good Friday.
In December 2007, the complaint continues, Freshwater burned an easily identifiable cross into the arm of at least two eighth-grade students with an electric device manufactured by Electro-Technic Products Inc. The complaint states, “Mr. Freshwater knew that the electric device, model BD-10A, could cause harm if placed in contact with human skin. As the eighth-grade science teacher it is Mr. Freshwater’s duty to understand and follow the manufacturer’s advice regarding the proper use of science equipment.”
http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/08/06/17/freshwater_upd.html
These allegations are truly horrifying, if true.
And I can certainly believe they could be true. Watching my so-called science teacher Mr Witkowski stagger in drunk (or on the DTs, for the same difference) to class in Start High School during the early 1980s shows that it's possible for absurdly terrible teachers to be retained on staff in the TPS.
The issue about burning images into flesh should be the one most quickly resolved, since there should be physical evidence that can be compelled to be shown in court.
LOL..........I had him too! I can remeber him actually drinking from his flask in class. Then many times, he would fall asleep or as we know, "pass out". I do not remember what he taught, but I remember at the time, we all thought it was funny! Now as an adult I realize how sad it is.
An intervention should have taken place for him by the school administrator. Is he still alive? I hope he received the help he needed to lead a more productive life. Also as an adult, I realize that addictions like this are EVERYWHERE. It could be your family doctor, co-worker, neighbor, friend, family members, and care givers. I do not think it is bad of TPS, other than they did not reach out to him more. If all the students knew about his illness, then I am sure other teachers at least had knowledge, but did nothing..............that is the real sad issue here
Sandy, I heard in 1998 from Rolanda Williams (Mrs Williams, Physiology) that Witkowski was still there at Start. He's probably retired by now, if his liver hadn't killed him. "The Wit" usually taught Careers, which from my student perspective was a joke class, which made sense to have a useless teacher parked there where he could do the least harm. But when he was assigned to Physics (Mrs Foster, to my knowledge, having had to retire for medical reasons), that's when the sheer absurdity of the entire thing hit me like a 16-ton weight.
I never observed The Wit nipping from a flask, but he did seem particularly sleepy when he was at a desk.
P.S. Rolanda Williams was an impressive person, and an OK teacher. You soon learned not to cross her for any foolish reason or you'd suffer. We need more people of her personality type in the system, so that they can form a real union and fight the bad management going on.
at McKinley who was suspended with or without pay (I can't remember) this year for alcohol abuse. I heard he is in rehab. Do you know what he did Sandy? I think his name is Koronowsky. I went to a hearing that he was involved in earlier this year and he almost gave me a contact high from the fumes.
How sad for those students.
It was also sad to hear that about Mr. K. I did some volunteer work at McKinley during the early '90s and at that time he was clearly respected by the staff and he seemed to know every kid in the school by name.
OMG! GuestZero and Sandy, you might have gone to Start HS the same time I did because we always joked about how hungover Mr. Wit was when he came staggering in to class also.
During my years at SHS (77-81) he was even spotted at a couple class parties according to a couple of old party buddies. (Yes folks, I was a partier).
what years did you go to Start? I went there to. From 88-91. I had Mr. Witkowski freshman year science. That guy was always stone drunk.
... you young whippersnapper. Sorry to hear that The Wit didn't clean up his act even going into the 1990s.