Ohio school district settles with student who accused teacher of burning cross image on arm

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio school board has approved a $121,000 settlement with the family of a student who said his 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 his own $1 million lawsuit against the district, claiming it violated his free speech and civil rights.