Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-28
SENSATIONAL CHARGES
The M Street High School Affair
Brought Up.
LElSINRING'S ASSERTIONS
Matter Had Been Considered by Board
of Education.
MR.. G0ULDEN EXPLAINS BILL
Only Object is to Improve the Condi-
tion of the Schools-Mentions
Some Of the Defects.
MIR. G0ULDEN EXPLAINS BILL

|
education and against the administration
| of the NJ street High School were presented
| TO the Morrel subcommittee of the House
| committee on the District Of Columbia to-
day by Thomas S. Lelsinring of 507 18th
| street and DR. Atwood of 1915 street. The
! charge affecting the M Street High School
was presented to the subcommittee in the
| form of affidavit made by Messrs. Lei.
sinring and Atwood. and alleged that drink
! ing and cigarette smoking by teachers ana
pupils had been common at that institu.
| ton during the past Ave years and was Inc
| dulged in at the present time.
| Mr.. LeIsinring said he represented the
| taxpayers of Washington and was one or
| committee of seven that had long been
| working on conditions in the public schools.
| The committee had brought to the atten-
! ton of the board of education he said, the
| matter of the alleged conditions In the NJ
| Street High School. He charged that tho
/ members of the board of education. know
iig that one of the teachers at the NJ
| Street High School drank intoxicants ana
smoked cigarettes during school hours. had
| permitted him TO retain his position. The
| further charge was made that at the meet
J ing of the board OF trustees. which con-
J sdered the charges brought by the associa.
| ton represented by Mr. Leisinring. one OF
| the members of the board of education had
| practically acted IS attorney for the
accused teacher of the NJ Street nsn
| School.
| This board member~a colored man, had.
! Mr.. Leisinring said. fnsulted some of tho
1 witnesses against the teacher in question.
and had urged the board to refuse TO call
| other witnesses whose attendance de-
| sired by those bringing the charges. More
over Mr.. Leisinring said that this man hal
urged the board of education not to
| slider certain affidavits concerning alleged
| conditions in the school which had been
presegyed to the board.
Had Never Taught a Day.
Persons had been appointed 10 the N
Street High School WHO had never taught a
day, Mr. Leisinring said, and on account Of
the ineficiency and Ignorance of these ap-
pointees it had become necessary 10 make
| certain changes in courses and studies at
the high school He thought this was a
mere squandering OF money.
In reply to questions by Representative
Morrell the subcommittee chairman. Mr..
Leisinring said that the investi cation, which
is alleged to have resulted n the diselo-
sures recited, commenced on December 10,
1904. and ended on october 30 1905. Mr..
Leisnring then, at Mr. MorrelPs sugges-
tion. gave the name of the teacher at the
VI Street High School who is accused by
the association of drinking constantly dur
ing school hours and of having been drunk
on duty on several occasions.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Morrell. Mr..
Leisnring said he did not know whether
or not the colored member of the board of
education referred TO had received compen-
sation from the accused teacher for lighting
his case.
You can very well see why I ask this
question in reference to compensation. said
Representative Morrell. "for the charges
You bring before this subcommittee are very
serious ones indeed"
Mr. Leisinring then read a letter from
Mrs. Clinton Smith under date of Septenl-
Der s. 1905, president of the local branch,
w. C. T. u. urging the association to do
all in its power to correct conditions at the
NJ Sstreet High School. He then presented
affidavits from number of former pupils
of the NJ Street High School intended to
show that the teacher against whom
charges were preferred had very frequently
been seen under the influence of liquor
around the school and In the class rooms.
and should have been removed by the board
of education. An affidavit from one of the
pupils told of the formation of a club called
1.-THE Combine" which had its principal
object the consumption of beer and ciga-
rettes during the noon recess.
Under the Influence of Liquor.
Another affidavit presented by Mr.. Telsin-
ring tended to show that several pupils
had appeared in the class rooms under The
influence of liquor and had been very
leniently dealt with by the principal of the
school, Mrs. Cooper He claimed that
drinking and cigarette smoking was going
on today in the M Street High School and
in other schools around the city.
Mr.. Leisinring claimed that the board OF
education had been derelict IN its duty IN
not making a more complete inquiry into
conditions IN the NJ street tilKn ScnoOl
and IN not dismissng the accused teacher.
During Mr.. Leisnring's testimony he had
several set-tos with Representative Green
of Massachusetts. member OF the sub
committee, who wanted to know why the
association represented by Mr.. Leisnring
had not got to work sooner TO show all
these serious conditions. He prodded Mr.
leisinring about the matter until the lat
ter produced a number of letters writtou
to the board of education by officers of the
association demanding an inquiry and IN
sisting upon complete examination OK
the facts
Mr.. Green, after the witness had read
the replies from the board OF education,
wanted to know on what grounds the state
ment was made that the board had ignored
the matter. Mr.. Leisinring replied that ne
had not said that the board had ignored
the matter. He had merely made the
statement that the accused teacher had
not been removed and that conditions at
the school had not been remedfed Just
before concluding his remarks Mr.. Leisin-
ring began to read a paper containing sem
sational charges OF a personal nature
against various persons connected with
the school system OF the District He had
not progressed very far when he was
sharply interrupted by Representative
MorrelI who told him to cease reading the
document, as it did not appear to be proper
either in language or contents
AZ the conclusion OF Mr, Leisinrl9g m re-
York was heard by the subcommittee in
explanation of the school reorganization
bill introduced by him. Mr.. Goulden said.
Purpose or the Bills Ouefed.
Mr Goulden said that the purpose of his
bill and the other bills introduced was
merely 10 provide better school system fer
the District of Columbia better instruction
for the children OF Washington and in
creased compensation for the teachers He
had no feeling against any one, he said,
and he did not think that he should ba
called a medtiler or outsider for intro
6ucing bill TO reorganize the school sys-
tenn. He was born only sixty miles from
Washington. he had relatives by the score
living here. and he was interested In school
matters