Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-26
SUSTAIN THE BOARD.
THIS THE RESULT IN THE CASE oh
MISS ELEANOR GOODWIN.
INTERESTING DISCLOSURES HADE.
The Plea of the Young he"''
school Teacher for Rcinst"te"e"'
g. Hard M Considerable Leng'h'
put the Decision IN Adverse 10 hef'

put the Decision IN Adverse TO her'
The case Of Miss Eleanor NJ. GOODWIN
the young Henrico school teacher ch"is.
ing nepotism against the Fairfield schoo,
poard has been settled. and the poaru
has been sustained.
The case was referred 10 n board oil
reference. and the evidence on ooth sues
,ras oxbaustively gone into at the county
courthouse yesterday and the case ar-
a1,ed at some length. Much interesting
testimony was adduoed, and some rather
unnleasant charges were made on both
sides.
The case was set for hearing last sat
urdav. but was then postponed until Wed
nesday, and again postponed until yes
terday at 10 o'clock when all parties IN
terested were present and the witnesses
we're examined.
The Board Of Reference was composer
Of MIR. John *. Russell, County Superlh-
tendent Of Schools; Mr.. Caskie smith,
school trustee Of Tuckahoe District anu
Mr.. r. n. Pitcher, a trustee OF warm"
District. The members Of tho FaArhelu
School Board-Nessrs. II. j. Garter, hugh
ID. Smith. and Miller--were in attendance
and were represented by Mr.. i. O. Wen
denburg. Miss Goodwin was also present,
with her father. and her counsel, Mr.. D.
Garland Pollard The patrons OF tho
school were represented BY Rev. joel l.
Tucker pastor of East-End Baptist
church.
STATEMENT or THE CASE.
The interest in the case is intense
throughout Henrico, where all the par
ties to Il are very well known. MISS
Goodwin was for several years a teacher
I'm the Fairmount High School. This year
tho School Board gave Miss Goodwin
school at Highland Springs, near seven
Pines, and gave the position she had held
TO Miss SchermerhOrn, relative OF DR..
Smith. Miss Goodwin did not like the
change, and protested 10 the SchoOi
Board. without avail. Acting on the al
vice Of her friends, she applied to the
County superintendent for board OF
reference 10 hear her appeal from the
School Boards action, making at the
same time the charge Of nepousm against
DR.. Smith.
Her request for board Of reference
was granted, ana the board heard the
testimony yesterday in the School-Board
room Of the county courthouse Mr. Fus-
sell, I'm opening the case, explained thaI
his official position as superintendent
forced him to preside against his incnna-
ton.
PRESENTS MISS GOODWIN'S SIDE.
When Mr.. Russell declared that the
board was ready to consider the case,
Mr.. Pollard arose and presented his
clients side In the outset he said that
the law gives authority TO district school
boards TO employ and discharge teachers,
but that the last Legislature, seemingly
fearing the law might be misunderstood,
provided for a board Of reference. This
board was evidently created TO prevent
any Injustice to teachers. He quoted tho
of the State Department of
Education warning against nepousm or
favOritism.
On this case" he continued, 1--WE have
q lady who has for three years been
teacher in Fairfield School" The lawyer
read testimonials from school authorities,
giving his client "a strong recommends
ton. also q certificate from the County
Superintendent that Miss Goodwin was in
every way a satisfactory teacher.
petition Of great length from patrons
of the school was also presented, asking
the retention Of Miss Goodwin.
Mr.. Pollard contended that a change
i'm the face Of these papers must mean
that there was some reason demanding
an investigation. lie said Or. Smith, one
of the trustees OF the district, had had
three or four relatives in the same school
and TO prove that he decided the whole
matter of the changes, Mr.. Pollard
quoted Mr. Carter, another member of the
board, as saying he thought the
changes were made at the request OF the
teachers. Alr Miller was said TO have
been sick and knew nothing of the
changes.
HAD NO CASE.
Mr.. Wendenburg. replying to Mr.. Pol
lard, said if the other side were In court
their case would be thrown out on
demurrer. 1t must be shown. he said,
that the trustees had acted wrongfully
in some way. He then dwelt a. some
length on the province and power of
boards Of reference and said he feared
the young lady had been unwisely adj
vised. The Board of Reference he con-
tended. had no right to appoint teacher.
Ii only has power TO approve or disap-
prove the action Of the trustees Ii the
action is disapproyed the trustees must
elect some other teacher. He quoted an
official opinion Of the State Superinten-
dent TO sustain this point, and said when
trustees are charged with violation
OF law. there must be something
more than suspicion. He quoted sone
statistics showing advances of the coun-
TVS school affairs under the management
of the present board, and coming down 10
what he asserted was the milk IN the
cOcoanut said:
Complaint has been made that the
progress of bright pupils has been check
cd and greatly delayed when they reach
ed Miss CiOodwin's room. She Is, no
doubt. we'll equipped, mentally, for the
work of teaching, but, unfortunately, she
suffers with nervous trouble which mill
tates against her efficiency Lack OF
executive ability is her trouble. She has
no right" TO any school. but in the kind
ness Of their hearts the trustees have
given Miss Goodwin q school at High
land Springs close to the car line ana OF
a higher grade than she had been teach
ing. She had been ill-advised by friends"
Miss Goodwin had at one time, said Mr..
Wendenburg been attacked with hysteria
at the entrance of the school, and had
been unable TO teach that day.
MIR. fuckers TESTIMONY.
When Mr.. Wendenburg took his seat
the evidence was gone into, and Rev.
Joel r. Tucker was placed on the stand.
He reclted his connection with the case
as a patron OF the school, and in the
course of his testimony said he had been
TO see the members Of the District School
Board-Dr Smith, Mr.. Carter, and Mr.
Miller-as 20 why Miss Goodwin had been
sent to another school. Mr.. Garter had