New-York tribune., 1914-11-12
PUNISH TEACHER
FOR F. P. A. LETTER


the wishes of Mayor Mitchell, as ex-
pressed In his letter OF Tuesday, and
remained hard and fast in It's former
policy of denying the right OF married
teachers to become mothers. Members
Levi. Barontess, Harkness and LEVIN
tritt were won over from the oppOsl-
ton. making the vote % 10 . against
Mrs. Wagner In the case OF Mrs.
Pcixotto, there were 1--WE votes for the
mother-teacher.
MIR. Churchill voted against the
mother-teachers
The debate lasted nearly two hours.
DR.. Vile. Mr.. Levi and Nh Barondess
divided the houors for the defence, and
John Martin and Commissioner Wilcox
did the most of the talking against the
proposition. Mr.. Wilcox said:
Leave is granted 10 persons suffer
ing from illness or accident. but there
is "A clear distinction between Illness
over which the sufferer has no control
and "A case in which she voluntarily
assumes responsibilities which Will IN
tcrfcre with the performance OF her
school duties The law forblds Us 10
discharge q woman for getting mar
ricd. but we can discharge her for any
thing i'm her conduct which lncapacl-
tates her for the proper performance
Of her work
Mr.. Winthrop called upon the board
TO change its policy toward the teacher
mother. saving that public opinion was
against them and they should bow 10
II. Mr.. Wingate contradlcted tihs. Pun
lie opinion. he said, was not against
them. only the cries Of OF senti-
mental people who were always looking
on the feminine side of things.
"Do you call the Mayor Of this city
sentimentalist?" cried DR. VIE. "he
l. not fl sentimeutalist; his sanity is
rot questioned when he happens TO
recommend something OF which You are
in favor DO you call the public press
Of the country oversentimentai! Ihere
is not paper that has assumed for an
instant TO support our policy. We are
the butt Of ridicule from coast TO
coast"
Mr.. Barondess denounced the policy
of the board as a crime In Russia
where he came from, he said, they
weren't so cruel.
All this oratory was on the motion
offered by Commissioner Wilcox to
suspend Mrs Wagner After about an
hour Of it Superintendent Maxwell got
into the fight, on the side opposing Mr..
Churchill. by reading a clause from
the charter showing that the board had
no right TO suspend teacher without
bringing charges against her. lie then
threw his influence on Mrs. Wagner's
side By asking the board not TO suspend
her.
Without expressing an opinion on
the general subject" he said, 81 do not
think we should suspend Mrs. Wagner
at this time. II would be a cruel and
inhuman act TO bring charges Of neg
lect and duty against her when 1T IS
but two weeks since she passed through
the experience which surpasses all
other forms of human suffering
The vote was then taken on the orig
inal resolution as adopted by the high
school committee supporting Mrs. Wag-
ner's application for leave of absence.
1t was refused by vote of 22 to g.
A motion calling upon the district
superintendent in charge of high
schools to prefer charges of neglect Of
duty against Mrs. Wagner and forth
with to suspend her was passed, the
vote being % TO II.
The action Of the board was con
trary TO the custom when prevails in
ordinary illnesses of granting a
teacher ten days absence without
leave. 1t had been supposed by the
feminists that ten days leave was per
mitted by law, and that # Mrs. Wagner
returned 70 school on Monday the
board would have no ground for accus-
ing her Of neglect Of duty. 1t was
stated, however, by superintendent
Maxwell, President Churchill and other
members Of the board that the ten days
was only a courtesy, and that charges
could be preferred after one days abb
sence if the board desired.
Mrs. Wagner is expected to return to
school and TO engage lawyer 20 de-
fend her rights before the board.