Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-27
REMOVE VAN LEW
FROM PRESIDENCY
OF CHICO NORMAL
School Board of Trustees Sum-
mariIy Dismiss Educator
from Position
SCANDAL is BASIS OF ACTION
Publicity Given Charges Made by
Miss Ada Clark Leads
to Removal
SCANDAL is BASIS OF ACTION
ASSOCIATED Press1

SAC r AN NTO, Aug. 26.-Dr.
Charles c. Van Lew, president of the
Chico state normal, was summarily re-
moved from his position late this after
noon by the board of trustees of that
institution.
A resolution presented by Attorney
General Webb, acting as legal advisor
of the board, and at the request of
several members Of that body, was the
instrument which dropped the official
head of DR.. Van Lew into the basket.
Ali of the trustees present voted in
the affirmative when the resolution
was presented, but Messrs. Coggins and
Campbell made statement regarding
their stand at this time.
The resolution says that ut appears
and is found to be fact by the board
of trustees of the state normal school,
located at Chico, California, that it is,
and will be for the best interests of
said school, that Charles c. Van Lew,
the president thereof, be removed from
such position as president" and that
said Charles C. Van Lew be, and
he is hereby removed from the posi-
ton of president of the state normal
school at Chico, good and sufficient
cause therefore existing, and said po-
sition of president Of the state normal
school is hereby declared vacant.
(Signed) j. N. Gillett, F. J. O'Brien,
Edward Hyatt, Clifford Coggins, ]. F.
Campbell, Frank NJ. Rutherford"
EXPLAIN THEIR VOTES
In explanation of their votes, Trus-
tees Cogglns and Campbell gave out
the following signed statement;
I'm casting my vote, l do so simply
and solely with the best interests Of
the Chico state normal school in mind.
1 believe now, as 1 believed at the
time of the acquittal of DR.. Van Liew,
that he was innocent of the charges
laid against him. But the publicity
of the trial and the scandal connect
ed Herewith, in my judgment, will in
jure the school If no change is made
In the presidency.
Therefore, believing that it is for
the best interest of the school that
change be made, I vote aye, at the
same time recognizing that DR.. Van
Lew Is one of the most prominent and
best equipped educators in the state of
California"
Van Liew will receive his salary
up to and including yesterday, but it
stopped when the resolution was
passed. He has already drawn about
$1,000 Of the $4,000 yearly salary. There
has been claim made by some of
his friends that Van Lew can collect
the salary for the entire year for
which he was appointed by the board
before the investigation.
VAN LEW TO GET SALARY
In this the trustees do not agree.
They say he can have the salary up
to the time he was removed, and as
he has no contract with the board
or state for any given time, he will
% 10 tt, 20 g1y tI1n
entire amount.
The charges made against President
Van Liew by Miss Ada Clark of Ia
mora, and which were recently inves-
tigated and Van Liew acquitted,
formed the basis primarily of the ac-
ton taken at today's meeting.
Additional evidence was discussed by
the trustees. Upon motion of Cog
gins, seconded by Hyatt, Governor Gill
lett was made chairman of today's
meeting, with F. ]. O'Brien as secre-
tary.
Just what new evidence has been
presented to the board was not given
out and none of the trustees would talk
regarding it.
Before the meeting it was thought
Trustee Coggins would bring Van
Liew's resignation and in this way do
away with the necessity for taking
summary action. Coggins, however,
said that he had seen Van Lew re-
Gently and had been told by him that
he had no intention of resigning.
The board adjourned to meet again
some day between September 23 and
80 to elect a successor to Van Liew.
This was done to permit the governor
to be present and give him an oppor-
tunity to vote upon the new official.
At this time there are seventeen ap-
plicants for the position.