The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-05-04
THE GALLITZIN SCHOOLS
Legal Proceedings Agefnst Sisters
Teaching The PubiiC schools

| was then bOiQln9 court III toilludN SbuI
an application was made and prelimi-
nary injunction granted restraining six
sisters of ST. Joseph from teaching in the
| public schools at Galitzin. The appli-
cation was made by T. II. Baird Patterson
| and A. ID. Wilkin, of Pittsburg. and II. w.
Storey. of JohuStown. attorneys for seven
| citizens of Gallitzin and William T. Kerr.
state councillor of the Junior Order of
| United American Mechanics. Thursday.
| May. ,. at EbenSburg, was fixed for hear
| ing argument for the continuance or dis
| solution of the injunction.
| The proceedings are promoted by the
American Mechanics order. The snit is in
the form of bill in equity. The plaintiffs
ale John Hysong. David y. Williamson,
A. r. Salkeld Charles IL. Decker, Alfred
| j. Hancuff. James Pearce, Scott SIoner
! and James q. Laughin.
The defendants are the school district of
GaIlitzin borough. Il corporation created
! by the laws of the cOmmonw aalth of
| Pennsylyania: Michael Fitzbarris. presi
| dent: James e. Bender. secretary; Charles
| Quinn. treasurer: Il. =. TroXel. j. /.
| Campbell. William CriSte, the school di-
| rectorS of said school district: and Sister
| Mary de Sales tor Clara Clarkl. Sister
| Mary Colleta. Sister Mary Marcella MARY
| PreSton), Sister Mary GOnZaga Elizabeth
! Cunningham. Sister Mary John tMary
Keenan,. and Sister Mary Sebastian,
teachers in the public schools of said dis
| trict. defendants.
The following allegations are made in
| the bill:
That said sisters are all Sectarian or
| religious sisters of the order of the Sister
| hood OF st. Josef h, Of the Catholic church.
| A
| rruounced The world and have given up
| their worldly names and worldly interests,
| aud largely such connections. associations
and pursuits "a ordinary iadiNid us
| ually have IN secular communities aud So
| cIeIy.
| That the said school directors. in diSrc-
| gard UI their duties. and in violation of the
| law requiring public schools To be conduct
| rd OH Il purely nUu-S -SeCtarIau basis, have
| resolved that they would employ no teach
erS for sin of the rooms ln the public
! schools of said district except sisters of the
| SISJrrhOod of 81. Joseph and up To this
time are employing the six sisters afort-
! said teachers AID instructors, who,
prior To said employment, Were religious
! teachers in the Roman or Holy Catholic
| church. and who are now receiving. or
claiming the right Ia receive, monthly pay
! aS teachers in the public schools from the
| public school funds of the state Of Penn
| >yINania. for the use OF the. SIStcrhOOd of
| ST. JuScph; aud the school directors have
! actually paid and do claim the right To
4
out of the punlIc school funds Tor the pur-
| poses aforesaid.
| That these teachers wear distinctive
! religious garhS or habits "a enblemS of the
religious Greer and church 10 which thy
| belong. consisting of black dresses, white.
| CapeS, " hiIe CoronetS, CruSiiNeS, ruSarIeS
! aud waist cords, with taSSelS- That they
| still continue while Teaching To wear this
| garb during school hours. aud in the els
| charge OF their duties IA teachers. aud do
| teach and use their gaTbS ia such man
| ner Ju Impart 10 The children under their
| instruction eel tain religious and SectdTiam
| lessons and ideas peculiar 10 the Catholic
| church.
That these teachers i'm violation of the
| school laws and constitution of this state,
! applied for and received Their certificates
| as such teachers IN their religious or see
| tartan names alone, and We're contracted
| with and employed "a teachers Oy said
school directors in their religions or see
tartan names, and keep their >ch hool records
make their reports and perform their du-
| ties in their religious or sectarian names.
| and the board of school directors aud the
| teachers have adopted rules for govern
mcnL of the public schools. and announced
| the same 10 the children, whereby the
| children are required to address the teach
| erS Sister. and call them by their re
| ligiouS names. with penalties for the en-
| tOrCement of the rules, aud by similar rules
| the resident and other priests of the Roman
| or Holy Catholic church are encouraged To
| visit these schools very frequently. and
| take the books and hear the recitation o.
| lessons 10y classes, aud 60 around in the
| school rooms and inspect the studies aud
| work of the scholars individually, and the
| scholars are taught and required to rise
| and address the priest aS Father aud
| thank them for their visits and request
| them To come again.
| That the CdLechiSm of the Catholic
church, and other religious instruction, are
| studied and taught IN this school before.
| during and after school hours: and that
the caUechiSmS are furnished To the pupils
! al nd nj n ne ny ha ,.ri
| Ties of the Catholic church: that the re-
| igiUuS teaching is carried on under the
Supervi iSiOn and 10y the religious teachers
aforesaid, and II permitted and allowed 10y
the school directors: and in a similar man
| ner these teachers uulaw fully use the pub
| lie school building, md the musical instru-
| mcntS therein. all of which are the proper
ty of the school district, for the purpose of
| teaching private pupils instrumental music
for money consideration for the use Of
the order Of the Sisters of ST. Joseph be
| fore, during and after school hours.
That the teachers are by ;he rules re
| quirementS seCluSion and training of their
| SiSterhOOd. disqualified frOm fully peIf rm-
ing all the duties of teachers in the COM
mon schools aS follows: That the rules
| prevent ana dIsqualify a sister from aSso-
| ciating or ConVeT>ing with Il male pupil
| over the age of II years, and conseg guenJly
| the scholars in room No. : are all males
| and taught by ma g teacher: and in room
| No. :, taught by IA sister. all are females:
| and in the other rooms taught by sisters
| there are very feW boys. and very impIo op-
| crlv distributed. the result being that the
| scholars in all rooms are not prop, rly
| class fled and graded. 80 that the males
| aged from 10 10 20 years. are Taught in the
| third. fourth and fifth reader in room No
| z. and other branches in like manner; and
| that from same causes the teachers are
| disqualified from teaching physiology and
| hygiene efficiently. and more especially To
maics over the age of II years, "a required
| by the laws of the stale; aud the directors
| knowingly approve of this improper SyS-
TEN and neglect Of legal requirements in
| these schools.
| That in consequence of this state of af-
fairs the children of the plaintiffs are un-
able to attend the GalliIZin schools. and
get the benefit of instruction To which they
are entitled"
The bill concludes with t1e aIIee alton
that the employment of these religions
teachers in the public schools il impropcr
and illegal, and the court i asked to en-
join the directors from employ ing these.
| teachers in the GallitZin schools and To
prevent the teachers from wearing their
religious habit IN the school rooms.
The case was taken up this Thursday
morning when Judge KrebS. of Clrartield
county; +. J. O'Connor and NJ. ID. KittelI.
Esqrs-. appeared for the defendants and
filed an answer denying the averments of
the petitioners. The case + still in progress
are a large number of witness subpoenaed
and are here in attendance.
Marriage Licenses.
sued by the Clerk of the Orphans Court