Ohio Student Wins $121K Settlement After Teacher Burns Cross Image On His Arm

A high school student in Ohio has won a $121K settlement from his school district after his science teacher burned the image of a cross on his arm.

School board members in Mount Vernon agreed Wednesday night to resolve a federal lawsuit by paying $5,500 to the boy and his family and $115,500 to their lawyers. The family still has a similar suit pending against the eighth-grade teacher, John Freshwater. He was fired last year by the school district northeast of Columbus after an internal investigation accused him of using a scientific device to burn the student and found that he had preached his Christian beliefs in class.

Freshwater has filed a $1M suit against the school district saying they violated his freedom of speech and his civil rights. According to another student, Freshwater has told his classes that "Catholics aren't Christians."