The San Francisco call., 1897-10-07
MRS. BRADLEY TO FIGHT
Begins Mandamus Proceedings
Against the Board of
Education.
The Lady Wants Drawing Restored
in the Polytechnic High
School.

Mrs. e. 2. Bradley, for fifteen years
teacher of freehand drawing in the public
schools of this city, has begun proceed
ings in the Superior Court to compel the
Board of Education 10 re-establish free
hand drawing in the Polytechnic High
School, to reinstate her as q teacher and
to pay her $3.50 back salary. This action
in mandamus dates back Immediately to
May 26. when the board passed resolu-
ton doing away with the class of free
declaring vacant the position held by Mrs.
Bradley, but more remotely to trouble
that is said to exist between the lady and
w. n. Bush, the principal OF the school.
Mrs. Bradley has been a teacher in the
Polytechnic High School for the past five
years, but last May the board, without the
least warning, passed the resolution men,
toned, to take effect on the first of June.
The teacher continued to teach her class
until that date and then, according to her
story, the principal turned her out. Upon
the advise of her lawyer she continued to
report herself for duty at the school and
to report to the me m bers of the board that
she was ready and willing TO go to work
at any moment. For n time the latter
promised that they would find for her an
other place. but they have failed to make
good their promise, and hence the action.
Mrs. Bradley was seen at her home last
evening ana told the story of her Difficult.
ties with the board. She said that the
cause of all the trouble lies with Prin-
cipai Bush, who. she says, seems to have
taken a great dislike to her, and she AT
tributes the action of the board to his
efforts to get rid of her. She declares
that there is no justification under the
law for the acts, and she says that they
overstepped themselves in passing the
resolution abolishing the class of me-
chanical drawing. The law prescribes
what branches shall be taught in the sew
eral branches OF the pu blic schools, and her
department is one OF these. And further,
the law states that such branches as the
regents OF the university require must be
taught. 1t happens that since drawing
was done away with In the Polyt chn:c
High School the regents have informed
the Board OF Education that mechanical
drawing must be restored to the school in
question or that school will no longer be
one of the accredited schools, and that
none of the pupils therefrom will be adj
mitted into the university.
AS stated, Mrs. Bradley's action in
cludes suit for salary from the date that
she was turned out of The school, for she
claims that the act of abolishing the class
being illegal the withholding OF her salary
is equally so.
Mrs. Bradley is we'll known to the art
world. and her name is favorably placed
with the artists OF the Old World and
the United States. She is the only teacher
in this school department who was SO sue
cessful at the late Worlds Fair as to win
medal for the merits of the works that
she exhibited. The case in which she is
now interested promises to be very inter-
esting, as she has host OF friends and all
promise to aid her in her tight for what
she believes to oe her rights.