New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-05
Roard Suspends Woman
Who Applied for Years
Leave of Absence.
CHARGE OF NEGLECT
Of DUTY PREFERRED
,..oue for Civil Service for
Women Gives Energetic
Support.

-ho .esehcr-mothcr probl,m has been
.ncb, sharply TO the front again,
~, time in direct fashion. and the
80 a. Education is once more face
: Doc With the question Ct the oxtcn-
y. # lcsvcs Of absence 10 prospective
.,sers among public school teachers.
=, League for Civil Service Of Won
:. bss entered the controversy IN sup
~, Of the teachers, and tho issue Is
.ov sousrcly up 10 the board.
Ms sara Brcslau. & teacher IN Pub
e.. school 81. and living At 14i2 41th
:. Prooklyn. wrote 10 Thomas Church
N president Of the board, on Scptem-
-, 10. asking for o years leave of alb
..,,s wi,hou; pay, 20 enable her to
S.sr and rear q child. The result is
.Sst she hiss been suspended. and
.ssrees OF neglect Of duty have been
deferred against her.
NJ Churchill referred Mrs. BrcSlau
e.. George ". Gillespie, chairman Of tho
.ownitfce on elementary schools, who
'-ior,red Der that her request, being
.,,irSt the policy Of the board, could
10, be granted. -
She ,hcn wrote 20 William ii. Max
..v Suncr'ytcndcut Of Schools. max
IS similar request. IL was CURLY re-
go and shortly aftcrwsrd Mrs Bres-
In received o communication from the
V,srj informing her that her continued
's.ence constituted neglect Of duty and
~. charge vculG be preferred
against her.
Mrs. Breslsus newest step has been
. letter 10 Dr. John II. Finley. State
commissioner Of Education, asking him
"a irtcrccdc ID her favor. As argu-
-,nts she slludcs TO her good record
rilc q teacher. 90 the fact that she IS
, college graduate. y wing done post
-r,auste wort. and that she has never
Sppied ior leave Of absence before. IF
Dr. Finley should prove less progress
lie than she expected. declared the
youne teacher. she viii take the matter
INTO the courts.
Eventually ! hope 20 see law
vssed enabling teachers 10 become
mothers" she said yesterday. Even
Ia Russia, which VIC are accustomed to
link OF as the most backward and
lOpeless Of all countries, they have 4
lsg providing that q teacher who be
comes mother gets six months leave
o. sbsence with pay. Not only that,
but when she comes back 10 work her
hours are so arranged as 10 permit OF
proper nursir- Il is uncomfortable
hal the authorities here should be less
progressive than those of Russia
The League for the Civil Service Of
Women, Of which Miss Henrietta Rod
nan is the head, has come out IN enCr-
fs,.c support of Mrs Breslsu in q cir
t.lsr sent 10 members OF the board.
1t is your duty 10 the community
urs the circular, "to uphold its law
and TO work for its welfare. II Is
s5inst the law 20 prevent the birth Of
child. BY olscharging women teach
ts for child hearing you are placing
heavy premium upon enforced sterll-
~ which D.. contrary TO law and
Earlity
A mother-tcscher is bound 20 dis
continue her school duties for time.
VLs,her you grant her leave Of absence
o. dismiss her, and consequently new
ei1 inexperienced tCaChCr must MI htr
'lsce. By granting the mothcr-tcachcr
ne privilege 90 return, however, the
Board Of Education would retain the
'zpert services Of It's experienced
teachers
no injustice would he done 20 other
PERSONS, as 1000 additional teachers
sould be required 70 replace the women
Who would BE- out each year for child
tearing. There would be no increase
q expense 20 the city, a. the sbscntcca
sould not be rad.
Under normal conditions 1000
somen teachers would marry; 1000 Of
htse would be absent each year 70
oear children The average teacher
sould be absent one year lu seven and
you'd bear four children during her
iittime. T..-, 10000 children would
2 borne ia the community by women
elected for Intelligence and morality.
Ils economic value of these children
y the community would be $50, 0O0,0 goo.
Obviously tho penalties which you
lace upon motherhood and marriage
Nt AZ variance with your duty to the
1nmunity'