The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-05-10

cufr1cOlum or class WOrR, IrO1n Wuich he is not excluded. Respondents are only seeking to prevent appellant and his associates from dictating the terms on which they shall enjoy cer- tain privileges which are merely 1n- cidental to the regular school work, and this they have authority to do. Appellant further contends that, as the fraternities meet out of school hours at the homes of the members, and at no time in the school build ing and as their parents consent to this action, the board is exceeding it's lawful authority in entering thelr homes, in withdrawing from parents the control of their children, and in dictating what the children shall or shall not do out of school hours. We think this contention unreasonable. The board has not invaded the homes of any children, nor have they sought to interfere with parental custody and control. They have not said these fraternities shall not meet at the var ious homes, nor have attempted to control students out of school hours"
 In the Illinois case, Wilson vs. Board of Education of Chicago, 233 III. 464, a somewhat similar rule adopt ed by the Chicago Board of Educa- tion was under consideration and that the case the Supreme Court sustained the, action of the Board of Education and in so doing held: 'The only ques- tlon for determination is whether the rule adopted to prevent or remedy the supposed evil was a reasonable exercise of the power and discretion of the board. The rule required teachers to refuse to give public recog- milton to such secret societies, to re- fuse to allow their meetings to be held in the school buildings, or to allow the name of any school to be used by the organizations. The rule also a member of a fraternity or sorority to represent his school in any literary or athletic contest or in any other public capacity; that parents of the pupils be informed that the Board of Education, the superintendent and teachers in the high schools unani- mously condemned all such secret so- cieties.
 The rule denied to pupils who were members of secret societies no privilege allowed to pupils not mem bers, except the privilege of repre- sent1ng the school in literary con- tests, or in any other public capacity. They were not denied membership in associations of pupils of the schools for literary, social, musical, or ath- letic exercises, and were not pro- hibited from receiving the same bene- fits from those organizations that pupils not members of secret societies TGcclVeu. They were Only pfOQlD1LeQ from representing the schools as members of those associations in pub lie contests and capacities. This was not a denial of any natural right; neither was it an unlawful discrimi- nation.
 Respectfully submitted this End day of May, 1910.
 THOMAS M. PULLMAN,
 "City Attorney"
 The report then concludes as fol- lows:
 wherefore, as a result of the in- Vestigation which we have made of the effect of fraternities and sororities upon the Bridgeport High School and influenced also by the information and conclusions furnished us by edu- catOrS in a large number of cities throughout the United States as to the effect of said societies upon other high schools and the characters and habits of high school members, we have concluded that such societies exert a deleterious influence upon the educational advantages offered by the Bridgeport High School and upon the administration of said high school and are harmful to the habits and char acters of the members thereof and we therefore recommend the adoption of the following rule:
 "1. All members of the Bridge port High School are forbidden on and after September 13, 1910, to join or agree to join or remain members of any organization, society, frater- nifty or sorority composed of mem bers of the Bridgeport High School or of members of the said high school and former members of said high school or to be members of any or ganiZation composed in whole or part of members of the Bridgeport High School, which organization is afhliat- ed with similar organizations con- rected with other high schools, or to remain members of any other frater- nity, sorority, club, society or organ ization after the board of education detrimental to the best interests of the high school.
 "2 Any member of the high school who shall violate this rule shall not be publicly graduated with his or her class and shall not receive a diploma at the termination of his or her course and after the violation of said rule shall not be 8 member of any class organization, shall not be a class officer and shall not be entitled to vote for any class officer and shall whether literary, athletic or musical connected with said high school.
 '3. Any member of the Bridge port High School who shall be found engaging in any of the following acts shall be deemed to be in violation of said rule and the burden shall be up- on said member to prove the con- trary by such evidence as the board of education may require.
 "(a) Frequenting any club-house