Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-18
TEACHER SUSPENDED.
Tho Actions of Miss Rosei A. DonAhue
Cause q sensational Injecting of the
Board of Education.


Tho Actions of Miss Rosei A. Donahue
Cause sensational HMeeting of the
Board of Education.
The board of education held an interest
ing session at o'clock yesterday after
noon and talked for over an hour and
half on matters pertaining to discipline in
the public schools.
The first business TO come before the
meeting Was the resignation of William L.
OConnor. assistant principal at the High
school. IT was accepted. to take effect at
the close of the present school term.
The chairman then announced that
there was n matter to come before the
meeting relative to the conduct OF Miss
Rose A Donahue, a teacher at the Bishop
street school. The actions of Miss Dona-
hue recaived n thorough airing ut the
regular December meeting of the be ard.
but the members seemed reluctant to be
severe with the accused and gave her the
full benefit of all doubts and voted her
free of all violations. so far as they knew.
Still the meeting voted that Superintend-
ent Crosby call the attention of all
teachers to rule two and inform them that
its provisions must be complied with as
| far as possible.
Mr. Crosby was called upon to explain
the matter to the board. He said in sub
stance: In accordance with the instruc-
tious of the board called the principals
| together and instructed them in relation
to rule 2. Principal Madigan of the
Bishop street school told me that on Mon
day afternoon of last week he called the
particular attention of his teachers TO the
rule and the decided views of the board
| on the matter. He sent me word on the
| Tuesday following that Miss Dopahue had
| not appeared at the school and he asked
| for substitute xrhich Il SAINT him Miss
Donahue sent Mr. Madigan no notification
or explanation of her absence. She came
to school Wednesday morning and he
| spoke TO her of her neglect to notify him
| She attended satisfactorily to her duties on
| Wednesday, the school holding but one
session on that day. On Thursday and
| Friday she was again absent and sent no
notification. The committee on teachers
held a meeting Friday afternoon to c'n-
sideT the case and asked me to notify Miss
DOnahue to appear before them at p.
III. to-day. l sent letter to her on Satur-
day and this morning received word that
| she wished to see me- | found her quite
nervous and weak. She wished to know
if she must appear before the committe G
and / advised her to do so il possible. She
WAS nervously i'll and said she had not
been able to sleep for some time She
did not appear before the committee and
she asked me t. explain the state of her
health"
Mr. Wells said that in order to bring the
matter before the meeting and in view of
| repeated Violate ms of rule two. he would
move that Miss Rose A. Donahue be- dis
| missed from the position of teacher of the
Bishop street school.
The teachers brother. DrJ. +. Donahut
| of New Britain. was present. and IN
formed the maoting that he had been tele
graphed for on Thursday of last week and
on reaching here said he found his sister
suffering from extreme nervous prostra
ton.
could you account for this in any
manner, doctor? ?" asked Chairman Mul
cahy.
Il cannot account for il in any way.
said the doctor. only. that my sister in
formed me that she got worked up oveV
the publication in one of the Sunday pa
pers in reference to her alleged mlscon
duet and the actions of the board thereon
She said she could not eat nor sleep ant
consequently got completely broken dowr
and unable to attend to her duties Tit
doctor thought her illness would detaiI
her for some time ut her home and salt
she needed a good rest
Speaking on the matter second tim'
MIR Crosby said that Miss Douahue sale
that she had sent word of her illness I,
Principa! Madigan. but the message die
not reach him. Miss DOnAhue also told
him that she had not been the same sine,
the article relating to her appeared In th'
Sunday paper He said she als'
talked of this to Mr. Madigan.
Judge Cowell said: If less heroic
measures could be taken than is indicated
in the vote l would favor them. If sh'
did take umbrage at the newspaper &C
count and felt that the action taken by thu
board and transmitted to the teachers wa
aimed directly at her l can understand
how nervous it made her. 1 know tina
she has been an excellent teacher, Som
twenty -four years ago my sister. who wa
then teacher. married. and her plac
was taken by Miss Donahue. She had en-
deared herself to the people living n-a
the Washington school. If she saw
child that needed clothing she saw that ii
wants were supplied. / do not like to Sc
public servant of twenty-five year.
standing turned out if anything else viii
do Three months rest would fit her TO
; service again"
MIR Wells said: 1T seems to me tina
: this board has shown remarkable con
sideration for Miss Donahue. After he
attention has been specifically and pos
lively called to rule two twice. once b
censure from the committee on teacher
and once as the result OF vote OF I'M
board, she violated it three times With
one week. / cannot see what action tn
board can take, consistent with its self r,
spect, other than to dismiss her"
. Judge Cowell said that she might not b
, morally responsible for her actions at Ger
= tain times.
Mr. Wells thought that a woman VIII
teaches school should be a person VIII
could give a good account of ali he
, actions, especially during school hours.
ais there any other charge against Mis-
Donahue. except violation of rule two
, asked DIR Mcdonald.
Not any that I know Of" said n
: Crosby.
DIR Hayes regretted the whole matter an
looking at DIR Mcdonald asked him VIII
he thought of it.
DR. Mcdonald said the board had beel
I very lenient with Miss Donahue. He sal
he had always spoken in favor of h
1 whenever her name came before the CON
r mittee on teachers, but he could not do =
any more. She has no one to blame bJ
herself" he said. and il reports are tru
think we should di- miss her"
d Here there was a long pause and finall
c DIR Hayes asked Mr. Wells II he coul