The San Francisco call., 1909-02-28
San LeaudrO School Board to
Investigate Charges Against
". A. Brenner ...
Complaint of Joseph E. DamOnt
Is Followed by Other
Stories
Neither Frank or | Are Tired"
Is Sentence That BreWed
Trouble

SAN LEANDRO. Fer. 27.-Because OF
anegations b5. angry: parents that their
children were unjusrly whipped. for
errors in their reritztions by Vice Prin-
cipaL W A. BenEer OF the Union publtc
schools. the school trustees OF this place
VIII -uTesti gate the 7condl rlous at the
next meeting Joseph E Danont.
Wel-rQ-co farmer living IN Saunders
Street pfecipitated a storm YESTERDAY.
when De protested 10 rF0 OF the rae-ll-
bers -OI the school board against. pun
tsEnent inflicted upon. his daughter Al.
zina. IS years old wh5ch the father.
asserts was uncalled for and auni ltst-
Following Damonz-s stand other. par
ents % pupils atterdiug ithe. Union pub
lie school hares come 20. the front with
grievances. and rtbe retention Of. Vice
PriucipaI. BenreF. Is put forHard b}
several .as the reason their children
have not attended school regularly dur.
ing rhe last. TWO weeks,
TIE STORM. which broke around Ben
rers head came SINCE pee last Tuesday.
when. BE ID. a strap On the hands Of
three gaia gra6e pupils. who protest,
that tteir -nlalseasanca lay IN gram
uaricaI errors Failing 10 use the word
nor IN a sentence given by Benner IN
test aud substitutiag the uonosyl--
liable ~or these pupils came under a
ban pronounced a short time before
and Ia consequence were. marched 70
fhe principals of5ce. where BenneF ap-
piled the oLd-fashioned strap. That
was the original cause Of the tempest,
which grew today with ether com
paints --:
THREE PUPILS PUNISHED
Tie pupils chastised- were:
Alzina Bamont. Is. years Of age,
|6zuE1ter-Cf = F. DamOnt- a farmer
Edna Peters. IA years old. daughter
'-of T Peters, fzrTleTs
Marcus Nelsons:.1s years old. son OF
= Nelson. paint dealer
The Nelson boy IS 2 cousin OF Al
gina Dauon-- TleE -WzeCe kept out o.
school for a day By their parents. but
at the fIrercesslon Of Principal. W NJ
Eastman were sent back for the re-
naming three weeks Qt the term The
Peters girl AID: her mother report that
the blows inflicted. in her palm with
the strap made blue MARKS and from
pain and humiliation the girl was III
foE a day
None OF the aroused parents made q
ccupIaint for. q few days: although
both Hr. and Mrs. .DaEaont went TO the
T-nfon pnblfc school 70 protest Yes
ferdaT .Damont toek the. case 70 Irus-
tees Charles II. Gale and Frank II
williams asking that Beuuer- be dis
8 sCfpIIueds He. said he would Hle e writ
ten complaint but has not: done 50 as
vet Even thoGgh- there=be none pre-
sented Gale said to-day that the trus-
tees ~ill take Up the. allegations. !.
4 talked with Principal Eastman
about the matter said Gale, :and. he
said the. pupils were copying in: an ex-
animation. I do not think much or the
trouble. but gte viii look into II
The reported explanation that the
rupfls were whipped for copying is
disposed of BY the Damont. girl and ;her
father Vvfth this. recital A. few weeks
ago 4 boy named Louis Cormack. Il
tears old. was caught IN thar act and
admitted IL, He was deprived Of his
. examination papers and was whipped
BOE-Is HUsILLATED -
Eastman walked: into the. room and
hurnil5ared the boy .bF staring him out
took the boys papers Then the Cor
mack boy was taken outside and given
IL or is lashes viii Ii left marks He
had admitted his copying, and think
The pInishment'. was too severe The
! tov-wss out Of school I understand,
Tor q time
sPers6haIlv.I win not stand for that
y Benuer whips my children unJustly
I VIII whip him. Ny daughter was alb
sent from school. when a certain lesson
vas given she. made an error in that
SAME lesson and was whipped L was
the unjust hGrnsliation that hurt
other. past cases have been unssrthed q
since Darnont began the publicity John
Vargas. a barber. ts highly wroIh be-
cause Benner used tile~ strap on his
daughter. khna. .15 years. Old He. like
Damont, believes girls q. Is are TOO
Ole. 70 BE. 50 punished with blows
Mrs Peters. mother OF Edna. who
erred on the same sentence as the
Damont girl. adds 10 the. storm clouds
By relating s.rvgo occurrences OF In
structor Beuner-s' classroom. She as
serts that her son. Joseph. L years old.
refused 70 return 10. the Union. public
school after one Of the vice .prfncip pal s
applications Of the strap. The youth
believes he was not given 4 square
deal she said. Then she told OF Mamie
Garcia IS years old. who refused point
blank 70 carry out one OF Benner-s
directions.
Benner caught her laughing in class
when he was Questioning a boy OF her
age named Frank Vferra-' she said
tNr- Benner thought the boy ought to
be punished for something and took
the girl and young Tierra to the once
where he ordered Mamie 10 use the
strap on the boy OF course she re-
fused. and there was some trouble
MISS DAMONT-S STORY
Benner is said 10 be enpopuiar with
the pupils. and Miss Damont this after
noon gave a character study OF her
teacher like this
7 made the mistake in the sentence
? ID Mr- Benner took me 10 the once
lie was going 70 whip me on the hands,
and 7 objected. Look out or Tn uSs
you roughly. he said. He il q strong
man and held out my hand and took
tire blows
The views - the pupils and the pzr-
ents are not conC1rred in entirely hv
t~ trustees One Frank H Williams
Damont complained 70 him and
wished the matter investigated A
R CARY. also s trustee. is in favor OF
inquisition. and Trustee Gale even