The evening world., 1917-11-16
ACCUSED TEACHERS
MAKE OPEN ATTACK
|. ON SCHOOL BOARD
Suspended Instructors Call
Loyalty Pledge Unfair
CriticiSe Whalcn.

A s,atsmsnt was isrird 'his after.
noon ny Samuel Sohmalhauscn and 4,
Henry schneer. two ~ tho three
teachers suspended from th" De VIII
Clinton High School on charges ~
holding viows which are subvorslvs
~ discipline In the schools and which
undermine good citizenship"
They base their position on the
right OF free speech and. in r"scnting
the action taken against thcm. make
sharp attack on John whalcn OF
the Board of Education.
In their statement they say In part;
Some Of the most loyal citizen
teachers refused 10 sign Mayor Nut
chefs so-called loyalty pledge for the
ample reason that they deemed It
humillating interference with consu-
tuuonaily guaranteed rights attaching
10 free American citizenship. The DIS
loyalty issue raised It's hldeous head
at the inSidious call OF the self-right-
eous, self-styled. spread-easle patriots
President Wilcox in a newspaper
interview limited A. possible severe
punishment TO he visited upon those
who dare to deny the Board the right
to extort a paper allegiance. But the
conscientious teachers stood firm.
They were not punished.
Finally the Board OF Education
decided to have n new loyalty pledge.
] The names Of the teachers were care
fully printed and strategically spaced
so that the omission Of the teachers
| parallel pen signature would be
quickly observed and checked up.
This carefully framed-up method
was intended to intlmidate the con-
scientious. timid young teacher who
appeared TO be confronted with the
alternative Of signing his name or
being severely punished. possibly ex-
PEELED. This economically drastic
test was met straightforwardly and
unfiinchingly by only a handful OF in
corrigibly conscientious teachers.
"on the very day in September when
teachers and pupils reassembled, a
new source OF trouble appeared. The
so-caiied heightened school day was
introduced into many OF the high
schools.
The climax OF the agitation was
achieved when three representative
committees chosen from three affected
high schools-the Wadleigh High
School, the High School OF Commerce
and the DE witt Clinton High School
finding no cordial reception at the
hands OF several members of the
Board OF Education, individually
written TO and interviewed, decided to
visit the Board OF Aldermen. 1t was
only at this significant moment that
the Board OF Education innocently de-
cided to permit the students and
therefore the teachers a hearing at
the Board OF Education.
Every one who was present at the
hearing was outraged by the bullying
methods of the chairman OF the High
School committee in charge OF the pro-
ceedings, John Whalen. Not only did
he try to delude the youngsters into
believing that they had no real griev'
ances he threatened them. His TIVE
most undemocratic and anti-social as
sertions werei II you pupils go or
strike I'll close down every school, ano
want you to understand that neither
the pupils nor the teachers are goint
to run the schools"
"Mr. Whalen. fearing TO alienatt
the student body. promised that theiI
grievances would be carefully con-
sldered. within the next week or two
and assured them that the principals
OF their high schools would call
meeting of the students. The prln
cipals were 20 make sort OF gen
tlemen's agreement with the stu
dents; IL the pupils promised 10 con
troll themselves and not go on strik'
the principal, in turn, would do al
in his power to readJust their pro
grammes."