Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-14
coLoRED NoRnAL GRADUATES.
Complaints Made To the Commissions,
inst Their Right TO Appoiutmcnt ts rKnor~d

Complaints Made to the Commis.sou~r
Inst Their Right to Appointment ts Ignor~f
The committee Of colcred citizens appointed
at q meeting Of colored citizens last night to
wait upon the Commissioner aud protest
against the alleged Illegal appointment Of TIVE
teachers in the oolored schools in disregard Of
the law giving preference to the Normal school
graduates performed their duty today.
This 10 not the first time this matter he's bcsa
called TO the attention Of the Commissioner.
Some time ago Commissioners Douglas directed
q graduate Of the class Of 1890 who hsd COM
planned Of the same injustice. to put her corr
plant in writing. This che did in
letter. in which she said that
at meeting of the school board
held on Tuesday. June 2. Miss Mary Somer-
Vile. said to be graduate OF the normal de-
partmsnt of Howard University. was appointed
a teacher in one Of the schools Of the seventh
division at an annual compensation o. s&00.i
Miss Somervilie lie a sister-in-law Of Fourth Au-
ditor Lynch.
At the meeting % the board already referred
TO Mrs Susan Peters also appointed .
teacher and assigned to the school made vacant
by che resignation OF Mr.. H. A. Lewis Mrs.
Peters nee Cox WAS. until near the close 81 the
school term ending June. 1880. an assistant
teacher in the Normal School. Just previous
to the close OF the last school wear she resigned
her position and was married.
teccntly she became a widow. and upon ar-
pication was appointed rs before stated Thess
two appointments were made 20 the exclusion
and detriment OF several Normal School gradu-
ates Of the class OF 1880 who were waiting for
and expecting appointments. We worked hard,
during the year we were in school writes the
graduate, Ito prepare ourselves for what many
of US propose to make our life work. ie.,
teaching.
'oar parents, many Of whom are very poor.
have frequently denied themselves the neces5
sarles OF life that we might continue in school
and prepare ourselves for our chosen profes-
SION. We feel that great injustice hss been
done us in these appointments. this being our
last chance OF ever getting what 10 due u.s.,
and we pray that your honorable body may
take such action as will insure the enforcement
Of both the letter and spirit % the law govern
ing the appointment OF teachers in the public
schools OF the District Of Columbia"
Commissioner Douglass had the paper for
warde6 to Superintendent Cook, directing him
70 make report upon the facts as presentsd-t
This lac did in the following Endorsement:
In the appointment OF Miss Mary Somer-
vile aud Mrs. :. Peters there las been no vio>
iation OF the rules. since twenty of the normal,
graduates had been appointed, and these two
last apPointees are graduates oi approved nor
NAL schools"
This afternoon the committee appointed nj
the meeting last night waited upon the Com,
missioners and entered protest against the
appointment of these two teachers. aud insisted
that the law relating to the appointment OF
teachers be carried out
The law in question is set forth in an order
Of the school board, July &c. 1883. ne follows:
That graduates OF the normal schools of this
District must have preference in all csses when
appointments Of teachers for the public schools
are TO be made. Act Leg. Assembly. June q,
1873.
That in case Of a surplus Of the graduates OF
former year being unemployed az the grAdu-
alton of the next succeeding wear the graduates
OF the latter year should have preference, and.
50 under this rule.
''Ihat teachers heretofore employed in viola
tion OF the rule prescribed by the Legislative
act above cited should not be re-employed dur
ing the present year, unless all of the Normal
School availables have been exhausted"
The Commissioners took the matter under
advisement