Columbus Dispatch Editorial: Mount Vernon School District’s Mistake

Last week, DispatchPolitics.com published a cap to the whole Freshwater debacle:

The unfortunate experience should be a cautionary lesson to other school districts dealing with teachers whose personal beliefs get in the way of their responsibility to educate: Don’t look the other way for years, even if the teacher is well-liked and personable. The mistake was not in firing Freshwater but in waiting so long to do it.

I mention this not only because it’s a good piece skeptics would be interesting in reading, but also because this was the incident that led me to find more local skeptics, and, eventually, organize and mobilize them. Hopefully, this situation won’t arise again in central Ohio anytime soon – but if it does, it’s nice to know we have an established group here with a voice to help fight it.

Thanks to David at the Ohio University Skeptic Society for sending me the link.

1 Comment so far

1. by RBH

   On January 31, 2009 at 1:42 pm

   That was a good editorial. The Dispatch has become better at covering this issue than it was back in 2002-3 when the creationist members of the State BOE were pushing to include ID creationism and the “teach the controversy” scam into the science model curriculum.

   Those interested in following the administrative hearing on Freshwater’s appeal of the termination can go to The Panda’s Thumb (www.pandasthumb.org) where I’ve been summarizing each day’s action. Search on “Freshwater” to turn up the relevant posts.

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