New-York tribune., 1913-11-03
NEW TEACHER AT WAR
WITH EDUCATION BOARD
Miss 0rtman, Married During
Summer, to Fight Suspension
on Gross Misconduct Charge.
DENIES SHE DECEIVED
League for Civic Service of
Women Takes Up Cudgels for
Miss Rodman and Plans
Protest Mass Meeting.

The members Of the Board Of Educa-
tion who do not believe that the women
public school teachers should marry may
find themselves in another tempest IN
teapot when the case of Mrs. Jeanette
V. Ortman-Ganse, suspended on charges
Of gross misconduct" comes up before
them for trial November II.
An anonymous letter to the board
stating that Mrs. Ganse, or Miss Ortman'
as she was officially known, was married
in July. 1912. caused her suspension. and
has aroused anew the bitter fight be-
tween the board and its teachers who
wish both marriage and place on the
city payroll,
The Board of Education SAYS that Mrs
Miss Ortman-Ganse, who is young ana
pretty, was guilty of deception when she
made out her application for license 10
| teach. The young woman with the dual
personality says she wasn't, and that II
is none of the boards business whether
she is married o. not and that anyway,
1t was the boards own negligence In
granting the license which started al! the
trouble.
Miss Ortman, as she prefers to be
known, was employed as substitute
teacher until June. 1912. She then made
out an application to teach regularly at
Public School 4. The Bronx. and in July
! was married and went to Europe. She
returned September 26 and because OF
the late return was required to make out
new application. She received her ap-
pointment and began work.
Here is where Miss Ortman says the
Board of Education was doing little
when her application came along: She
signed il with her maiden name. and, as
if in carelessness, left unanswered the
question in the application blank which
asks about her marital condition.
All went well. she says, and she re-
ceived the congratulations of her princi-
pal and fellow teachers until September
l6. this year Then some person wrote 10
the Board of Education that she was
married, and Associate Superintendent y.
w. Edison suggested that she resign be-
fore she was discharged. Miss Ortman
would not resign. and wrote to Supelln-
tendent Maxwell protesting against her
suspension. Her letter, which follows
! was unanswered.
| Il have been charged" she wrote, with
/ gross misconduct because / was appoint
| ed to a teaching position in the Ne"
| York schools after | was married. | con-
tend that this charge is unjust, for the
! following reasons:
"First-The bylaw OF the Board oi
Education which requires that woman
teacher who marries shall forthwith re-
port her marriage TO the Board of Edu-
cation did not apply to me, since ! was
not a teacher at the time ! was married
"Second-The bylaw Of the Board o'
Education which states that no married
woman shall be appointed to any teach
ing or supervisory position in the Ne"
York public schools unless her husband
has deserted her or is mentally or physi-
calv incapacitated was not violated by
me- since it prohibits specific action by
the Board of Education, and not by the
person seeking employment
"Third-No other bylaw applies in any
way to my case
Miss Henrietta Rodman, whose tlsh'