The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-20
SCHOOL CLOSED
IN SOUTH BOSTON.
School Board and Teaching Force
Disagree as to Discipline.
PRINCIPAL HAS RESIGNED
Ono IF tho Taachars Has Also Severed
PRINCIPAL HAS RESIGNED
One of the Teachers Has Also Severed
Her Connection With the School,
Primo pal Of School at Houston
Has Similar Trouble.
Especial Dispatch to The Times,


SOUTH BOSTON, VA. December 10
The public school of South Boston has
been closed Indefinitely and the principal
and one Of the teachers have handed III
their designations. because of disagree
roent between the School Board and the
teaching force in regard to the punish
nlent or expulsion OF a pupil.
The children were greatly surprised on
Tuesday morning when they went TO
school to find themselves locked out. They
were soon informed that the school had
been closed and would continue
so until new principal could
be secured Last week Miss Ma
ME Fry, one of the teachers. resigned
her position on account OF a difference
with the Board OF Trustees on ques-
ton of discipline. No a agreement could be
effected, as she had taken the ground
that on account of the conduct OF one
of the pupils It was necessary for him
to be expelled While the board did not
approve of expulsion.
PRINCIPAL RESIGNED.
The resignation Of the principal, Mr..
W. Bruce Buford, who had taken the
same position with reference to the Of
fender as Miss Fry, followed on Monday.
so the board decided to close the school
at once, rather than undertake to run
it with only three teachers.
has been made in the direction of securing
principal and ass slant to take the
place of those who resigned, and the I'M
fortunate occurrence is the subject OF
much comment and the greatest inter
est
There seems to be very little difference
&C opinion between the teachers and the
Board of Trustees as to the facts which
caused the resignation of the principal
Nv. Il OF
week pupil became very impertinent
during the recitation of one of his les
sons. It seems that his teacher had had
considerable trouble in controlling him
and making him study. and during the
recitation the boy who is about fourteen
years old, was called upon to read pas
sage. He failed to read it, and when
asked to spell out the words one by one
he again refused and was very imperti-
rent.
SCHOOL BOARD ACTS.
These facts were reported to the School
ISoard which appointed a committee to
interview the father of the boy and no.
tity him that he must be corrected and
would be expelled for the next offense.
The teacher of the boy, however, took
the position that it was. necessary for the
discipline of the school that he be eN
PEELED. AS the board did not take this
view of the matter, the principal, who
took the same view as the boys teacher,
and the assistant handed In their resg-
nations.
IL would seem that the boy has frequently
teen q source of annoyance and trouble
to the teachers. and on one occasion this
led to a difficulty between the principal
and the boy which was promptly settled
between the parties, but the offence re-
ported last week appears from the re-
ores of the board to have been the first
for which the boy was ever officially re-
ported.
Mr.. Clarence Moomaw, principal of the
public school at Houston, has resigned his
position on account of a disagreement
with the Houston board, said to be some
what similar to the one in South Boston.