The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-10-28
THE CnANCERY COURT.
A Case Of School Discipline from BOgue
ChittO Decided Against the Principal
and Board OF Trustees.

the Chancery Court was that of w.
1T. Germany ct al VS.. G. A. Hobbs,
Iprinclpal, and the Board of Trus-
tees of the Bogue Chitto High
School. The case developed in
this way: The school principal al
the beginning of the school term
made rule that all pupils should
Istudy at their homes two hours
each night, beginning at Z o'clock
and ending with 8 o'cock. There
were no exceptions as to the ages
of the pupils and no exceptions as
to the time except that the rule did
not apply on Sundays. There were
no other exceptions or limitations
to the rule. The Board Of Trustees
had meeting after the rule had
been in operation some time and
approved the rule, thus making it
a law of the school. It appears
that some of the parents insisted
on the right of their children to
attend mid-week prayer meetings
in the town, and some of the older
pupils either desired to attend the
weekly prayer meetings or to do
other things at night, all of which
appeared to be violations Of the
rule as made by the principal and
Board of Trustees. Of course, all
Lsuch violations met with the disap-
pro7al of the teacher and punish
ment for such violations followed.
When Mr.. Germany, a pupil in the
school, had twice violated the rule
by attending church twice at Nor
field during the week, the principal
insisted on his staying in" dur
ing the noon recess hour for one
entire week, but allowed him 20
minutes to go home to his dinner.
Mr.. Germany considered this a
little too hard, and, upon the ad-
vice of his father, withdrew from
the school. Afterward a bill was
filed in the Chancery Court by Mr..
Germany alleging that such rule
was unreasonable and that the
principal and school trustees had no
right to make or enforce rules for
the government of pupils in their
homes. In substance the bill al
legged that there was no law for
such rule and the court was asked
to condemn it as unreasonable and
unlawful and to enjoin the princi-
pal and Board of Trustees from en-
forcing the same. The defense was
that the rule was reasonable and
that the Chancery Court had no
jurisdiction in the case. On the
point of jurisdiction the defense
insisted that the whole matter in
controversy should be submitted to
the county superintendent of educa-
tion, and, if appeal should be de-
sired, then such appeal should be
had to the State Board of Educa-
tion.
The case was argued at length
by Hons. P. 2. Jones and L. L. Ty-
Ter for the complainant, and by
Hons. H. Cassidy and j. N. Yawn
for the defendants.
The chancellor sustained in full
the contention of the complainant
and declared the rule to be unrea-
sonable and granted the injunction
prohibiting the principal and board
of trustees from enforcing the rule.
Such controversies in our schools
seldom result in good. 1t is re-
membered that several years ago
Bogue Chitto had quite a long
school controversy in the courts.
School principals and boards of
trustees should adopt only reasona-
bic and wholesome regulations for
the government of the schools, and
then all parents should see to it
that their children obey all such
regulations.
Since last report the following
proceedings have been had in the
Chancery Court:
R. L. Brent VS.. F. F. Parsons,
Executor. Order directing execu-
tor to execute deed to plaintiff con-
Iveying certain property in Bogue
Chitto
Harriet McGehee VS.. Will Nc
.Gehee Decree for divorce.
Ebenezer McNulty VS.. Idella
McNulty. Decree allowing plant
Iiff an attorneys fee Of $25.
W W. Holiday. ETC., VS.. Cayne
Bros. Order requiring complain-
ant to file bill Of particulars
George Sanders vs.. Emma Sam
ders. Decree for divorce.
Floyd Anderson vs.. Robert
Rhodes. Order setting aside pro
confesso decree entered on former
day.
Emma Norwood vs.. viii Nor
wood. Decree for divorce.
H. D. Beeson ct al VS. Willie
May Boba ct al. Decree pro con-
fesso against defendant.
| Andrew Bowman VS.. f.. f. Par
sons, executor. Decree requiring
the executor to execute deed to
certain land.
Ex parte Mrs. Mai Sutton, ct al.
Order for adoption Of minor Nal.
cum Sutton.
H. H. Cain VS.. Cora 4. Cain.
Decree allowing defendant an at
torney's fee and allowing pendente
lite in the sum of $3.50. Final de.
lcree for divorce and awarding GUS
tody of two minor children to de-
fendant and taxing complainant
with the payment of S5 per month
to each Of said children for their