Americans United for Separation of Church and State:
The U.S. Supreme Court this morning [Oct. 6] declined to hear the appeal of a former Ohio public school science teacher who was fired for introducing creationism into his classes.The high court’s decision not to hear the Freshwater v. Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education case brings the matter to a close. Last year, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Mt. Vernon City School District had the right to fire eighth-grade science teacher John Freshwater because the First Amendment does not permit him to ignore orders from his bosses or display whatever religious items he pleases in his classroom.“This case should serve as a reminder to public school teachers and administrators that classrooms are not churches,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “School-sponsored religious activity is a violation of students’ rights.”
