Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-19
DEFIANT TEACHER
DROPPED BY BOARD
West Orange Officials Act on
Charge of INSTRUMENTATION
Against Miss WEIGH.

Refusing to participate in the pro-
ceedings on the advice of counsel,
Miss Laura C. WEIGH, the West Or
angt school teacher, who ignored a
transfer to a better paying position,
and who took possession of the st.
Cloud School on Orange Mountain,
was dismissed from service last night
by the Board of Education. Miss
WEIGH had tied up the work in the
st. Cloud School for two days until
she was prevented by the police from
entering the building.
The proceedings were of the tam
est sort, although Policeman Busold
was outside the building with Chief
of Police Bamford to cut short any
possible demonstrations. After Town
Attorney Simeon H. Robinson had
supervised the trial of the teacher
under the tenure of office act, Miss
K. Allison WEIGH, sister of the teach
err, called Mr.. Robinson to where she
was seated and asked:
is that all you want of herr"
Getting an affirmative reply from
the smiling lawyer, Miss WEIGH
snapped out: Then why don't you
tell her sou With this the dismissed
teacher and her sister walked hur-
1itCoAy lhOii tiiO TWILL
superintendent Makes Charge
Superintendent of Schools Alton
II. Sherman, who preferred the
charge of INSTRUMENTATION against
Miss WEIGH was the single witness
of the evening. He told of efforts to
induce Miss WEIGH tosreport to the
Paramount School, to which she had
been transferred, to take care of the
sixth grade class from st. Marks
School. He repeated the story of In
effectual pleas over the wire for her
to leave the st. Cloud School and
look after the class which had as
sembled at the Paramount School.
He then told of his trip to the st.
Cloud School and rebuff by the
teacher, who declined to obey his
orders or even speak to him. Miss
WEIGH was offered the privilege OF
cross-examining Mr. Sherman. but
declined the privilege. She also re-
fused to take the stand in her OWL
defense.
Commissioner James T. B. Lehman
said he did not know, as a member OF
the teachers committee, on April
of the plan to transfer Miss WEIGH
Mr.. Sherman said he had spoken
with other members about the
change and later had the approval OF
the committee as whole for the &C
ton. Town Attorney Robinson then
directed Secretary Albert E. Wrensch
to place on the records of the trial
the fact that in the transfer Miss
WEIGH also secured an advance In
pay. Her former salary was $3.50 and
It was boosted to 1915.
Vote for Dismissal.
At Mr.. Rollinson's suggestion a mo.
ton to dismiss was put and the mem.
bers of the board answered roll call
Commissioner Stephen d. Riddle
whose name has been mentioned BY
Miss Welch in a recent statement
and who, she alleges. is unfriendly tc
her, offered the motion to cut the
teacher off from the staff, and Com.
The motion was carried without q
dissenting vote.
After the result was announced
Miss Laura WEIGH made her only
statement. and while Mr.. Robinson
at first did not direct that 1t be placed
on the records he later returned anG
told Mr. Wrensch to include her re-
marks in his report. The deposet
tacher said:
81 have acted in accordance will
the tenure of Office law for teachers
anu the IHdtteT HAS DeeH TcIcTTeu ls
my lawyer"
Miss WEIGH has a suit pending II
the Montclair District Court for 500
for alleged back salary and interest,"
for April, May and June against the
Board of Education. The board de-
MES she was i'll, as she claims, dur.
ing the period she absented herself
from school, and cut Off her salary
while she remained away from hel
classes.
Her objection to the transfer from
the st. Cloud School, to which there
are two teachers, to the more accessi
BILE building in the town centre, witt
the increased salary, is that the
change is demotion. She insists she
was principal in the st. Cloud School
where she taught the four, fifth and
sixth grades. Her successor, Miss
Blanche Smith, of Orange, with hel
assistant, Miss Wilhelmina Schmidt
opened the classes Wednesday of las'
week under police protection. They
were escorted from the little build
ing by a bluecoat. There has beer
no further interference by the Welcf
sisters since the police took a hand