Samuel Miller is just one of the students standing behind teacher John Freshwater.

“Mr. Freshwater is my eighth grade science teacher and he’s probably one of the best I’ve ever had.”

“A group of friends and I decided to bring our Bible and wear a Christian shirt on Friday to help support him.”

Freshwater estimates that at least eighty percent of the school’s students came armed with their Bibles on Friday, including Travis Kiger.

“We were thinking that if we show that students aren’t afraid to show their faith and their religion, maybe it would be a step towards Mr. Freshwater being allowed to have a Bible on his desk.”

The support is overwhelming says Freshwater.

“Brings tears to my eyes many times. I have broken down. It’s very emotional. It grabs my heart, it really does.”

Unfortunately, Freshwater may be on shaky legal ground, given recent Supreme Court rulings. In 1990 the Justices said teachers may not have Bibles on their desks. Finn Laursen of the Christian Educators Association International would like to challenge that precedent.

“I think it’s time, like this individual who I strongly admire, we just need to say, ‘No, I’m not going to be bullied.’”

The trend towards suppression of religious rights in school started in the 60’s with a ban on prayer.

Freshwater says he’s willing to risk his job over this battle. After seeking legal counsel he did agree to take down a Ten Commandments display from a window in his class, but says he won’t remove his Bible. He hasn’t heard back from school district officials since he made his decision.