The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-13
MCoY's PUNISHMENT RECORD.
Principal Explains Circumstances In
the Previous Cases.

luC 11CN4O0S SdSCo.
Since the Mulhall issue has arisen,
Principal Mccoy has been accused of
administering extremely severe cor
poral punishment while he was con-
nected with the Sumner school in April,
1894 The case referred to was one
wherein a boy named Steve Hays had
assaulted his teacher in the presence
of other pupils, badly scratching her
hands with his fingernails. The case
was fully investigated before d COM
mittee of the board of education.
The testimony of a number of chill
dren was to the effect that the princi-
pal had struck the boy over the head
| with a stick and put his foot on him.
Their testimony was of a most lurid
! character, as taken before the board,
and, as was shown by Mr.. McCoy's de-
| Tense, contained many gross misstate-
ments. The evidence of the prosecut-
/ ing witnesses was to a degree conflict
| ing while Mr.. McCoys witnesses, it
was shown, were in better position
I to view the actual circumstances of the
punishment, and were. for the greater
part, experienced teachers in the
school.
In his defense, addressed to the COM
mittee at that time, he said that four
of the witnesses who appeared against
him were from families prejudiced be-
cause of having to pay fines for dam
aged books. The names of two other
! boys he recognized as having been
called into the Office for violating the
rules. and some were close friends of
the Hays boy, whose friendship, he be-
/ lieved, had led them to overstate the
case.
Miss Allen, one of the teachers, tes-
( titled that she stood where no one was
between the principal and the boy and
herself, and rebutted the testimony of
one boy that young Hays was tram
pied upon or hit over the head or
"choked.' or thrown on the floor"
Mr.. Mccoy made a complete denial
of all allegations of brutality, and eX-
planned his position to the committee,
who returned the following commune
cation:
salt Lake City. Utah. April :. 1894.
wv. J. Mccoy, Esq, Principal Sumner
School:
Dear Sir-In the matter of punish
ment of Steven Hays by you. the COM
mittee on teachers and school work
have this TO say, after full inveStiga-
ton of the facts and giving them care
full consideration: We believe the boy
deserved punishment. to the extent of
whipping. if that was necessary to
make him obey the rules of the school
and instructions of the teacher. But
we must condemn the manner and
place of punishment. You ought not to
have put your foot on the boy; you
ought not to have struck him with a
stick of any size in the presence of the
school, and you ought not afterwards
to have administered corporal punish
ment in the corridor or in the hearing
of the scholars; you ought not, in the
hearing of the school, to have called
TO the teacher to bring you the largest
stick.
BY reference to handbook of rules
you will observe that you have vio-
lated rules Nos. and 10, under duty of
teachers.
The committee is of opinion that
corporal punishment ought not to be
administered only as last resort and
then after school has been dismissed
and the other scholars have left the
building, and never when a teacher is
angry.
we are sorry to be unable to endorse
your conduct in this matter but the
committee is unanimous in the opinions
we have before expressed, and we hope
we will never again have occasion to
disagree with your management of the
school. OF course. you will understand
that the committee stands by you in
the maintenance of discipline, thorough
and complete; but neither you nor the
committee has any power to go fur
Their than the rules allow.
1.-THE conclusions of the committee
herein conveyed are for yourself only,
and will not be communicated to Mr.
Hays or anyone else save the superin-
tendent. Very truly yours.
CHARLES BALDWIN,
Chairman"
Mr.. McCoy's friends are moi back
ward in expressing themselves rela-
tive to the last paragraph of the above.
They claim that the present board is
not acting as did that of 1894. in keep |
ing matters TO themselves. 1t has been |
stated that Mr.. Mulhall is placing some |
dependence on a letter sent TO him by |
the board. written by the acting SUI
perintendent, as basis for his threat |
ened damage suit 1t is said to have |
contained some very direct assertions,