New-York tribune., 1913-10-13
CITY Superintendent Maxwell,
an Order from School Gov
erning Body, to Re-
port on All Cases.
THREE OTHER SUSPENSIONS
Action in Regard to Elementary
School Instructors Comes to
Light-Dr. Vile to Fight
Against Dismissal
of Women.

,sa result of the fight of the Board
=, Education against teachers who
,ova become mothers, three more
.oroen have been suspended from t9elr
.cbool places. They were teachers in
-. elementary schools, and action was
,.ten a few days before last Wednes-
a.v when for the same reason-that Of
-,otherhooG-Mrs. Bridget NJ. F. PeiX-
o,,o who was a teacher for eighteen
wears. was dismissed by the board
Abraham stern. chairman OF the
.or,mittee on elementary schools. in
,onNrming yesterday the report of the
.,snension of the three teachers, said
70 could not recall their names or the
.cbools where they taught. 1t is eX-
rsc,ed that the board will be asked TO
sct On the suspensions in the near fut-
ure. possibly at the next meeting, on
october -.
Al this meeting DIR. William II. Max
well. the city Superintendent OF
schools. will submit ;he names of all
teachers who have become mothers
since January /, 1918. DR.. Maxwell
yesterday said he would have the list
ready at that time. Asked 10 estimate
The number Of such women, he said his
round-up was not yet complete. how
ever. when one hundred was suggested
asa possible limit, he said:
q believe it will be far below that
lumber
Dr. Maxwell said he would report
among others. the name of Mrs. Kath-
crime Edgen. teacher of physical train
ipg in Erasmus Hall High School,
Brooklyn. who was refused permission
70 hear and rear a child when she made
a request last March for years leave
Of absence for tat purpose.
Asked if he would suspend the teach
ers. DR.. Maxwell said;
NO. | shall take no such action. The
board requested me to give the names
Of all -achers who had become moth
ers since January l, 1913, and l shall
DO as requested"
But Commissioner Abraham Stern
yesterday said DR.. Maxwell had the
power to dismiss such teachers end
that he should use it.
he ought to suspend them all. said
Mr. Stern, who is q leader in the hght
against the teacher-mothers. He has
the power and should not hesitate 10
act"
Mr. Stern said there would be no de-
lay in handling the cases, once :hey
came the attention Of the board.
DR.. Ira S. Vile. who has been leading
the fight against what he called the. ef-
fort 10 "penalize motherhood, said he
thought there would be about fifteen
cases like the Peixotto case TO come re-
fore the board. One teacher, he said,
was in the Curtis High School, Staten
Island
He indicated yesterday what he
would do in each case.
The Board of Education may have
outyoted me in the PeiXotto case said
Dr.. Vile. That has nothing to do
with the principle for which am night
ing, though. shall continue to oppose
the persecution Of these teachers "ho
have become mothers. shall fight
against it 10th in and out of commit
lee. | shall oppose all efforts to bring
charges against any teacher-mother."
DR.. Vile told the board at its last
meeting that it was without any public
support whatever in it's stand, and yes
terday he reiterated his statement.
This will be a big Job for the board,
ne said. In every case charges must
DO brought against the teacher in
question. There will long fight"
DR.. Vile said he did not believe the
board would reverse itself Of its own
ree will. but that the courts would
make IL do so