Head Teacher at High School: Never Said Freshwater’s Students Needed Re-taught

The following testimony took place between 1:05 P.M. and 1:18 P.M. on 1/16/09.

The report by H.R. On Call, Inc contained the statement, “During interviews high school science teachers expressed frustration and concern regarding having to ‘re-teach’ concepts that in their opinion had been improperly taught by Mr. Freshwater at the eighth grade level.”

John Frye was called as a witness for the defense. Frye has been a teacher in the Mount Vernon city school system for 22 to 23 years. The high school’s website lists him as “Head Teacher.”

Frye said that he never had a conversation with anyone, school officials or H.R. On Call, about Freshwater’s students needing re-taught. He does not remember having to re-teach Freshwater’s students.

Frye did explain that with the freshman class, re-teaching them is something you have to do. (So technically, then, all freshmen are re-taught. Frye may have been talking about things that students forget over the summer.)

Last year Frye had a daughter in the eighth grade. She was not in Freshwater’s science class, but daughter was in FCA. Frye had no complaints from his daughter.

Frye had no knowledge of the Tesla coil experiment.

During the fifteen years that Frye coached with Freshwater, Frye never saw Freshwater preach at the sports practices.

The only location that Frye saw the Colin Powell/Bush poster was in Freshwater’s classroom. Frye said that he has seen Bibles around the school in cabinets and on bookshelves. One teacher that he was able to name as having a Bible at the school is Brian Gastin.

Kelly Hamilton asked Frye about the school’s religion policy. Frye said that he is unable to recite the exact policy and that he never had any training in that matter.

In the ninth grade, there is a lot of material to cover so there is not really a chance to teach beyond the grade level, Frye said. He is not aware of prohibiting of teaching beyond the grade level.

Frye said that teachers do not have to get permission to bring in extra material to supplement the lessons, as long as it is on the subject matter being taught. Frye has brought movies to class and said that the only stipulation is that they are not “R” rated.