The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-06-15
CLEAN BILL FOR
BOULDER SCHOOL
CHARGES DIsPROVEN IN INVES-
TIGATION BY STATE BOARD
OF CHARITIES.
Findings of Board Exonerate Super
intendent Menzemer, Trustees and
School From SlanderOus AccuSa-
tions Preferred by Discharged En-
plOyes.


tions Preferred by Discharged Em-
ployes.
After searching investigation,
during which "a witnesses were eX-
amined, the state board of charities
and corrections few days ago filed
report with Governor Stewart, find
ing that IA separate charges, filed by
Rose Alcorn, a teacher discharged
tendent H. j. Menzemer of the school
for deaf and blind and feeble minded
at Boulder, were disproved, and COM
pletely generating the superintend-
ent, the board of trustees and the en-
tire school from the slanderous
charges which have been made by dis
charged employees and by persons no
have never visited the institution.
They were Miss Rose Alcorn, Mrs.
Park Upshire of Basin, Miss Mary
C'Neil and Mrs. j. B. Amos of Butte,
and Miss Mcconnell, teacher in the
institution.
The board also found by the evil
dence that Miss Alcorn refused to
follow her instructions as a teacher,
refused to have in her class colored
boy, stating she would not teach a
"nigger"; that she created discord
among the entire school and that she
showed disloyalty to the school and
the state by sending out libelous artl-
cles to be published in the newspa-
pers.
He Wouldn't Print 1t.
A newspaperman of Boulder testi-
fled and produced a.. libelous letter
signed by Miss Alcorn, which he re-
fused to print. 1t YVES also shown
that she conspired with others to
have the school taken away from
Boulder. In the opinion of the board
Superintendent Menzemer was en-
tirely justified in discharging her for
disloyalty and conspiracy. The
charge that he retained a part of her
salary was disproved, but through
cher misconduct and dismissal she
forfeited the bonus she would have
remained until the end of the year "
The investigation was conducted
by DR.. J. F. McNamee, the president
and Mrs Robert Allison Ridge, sec
rotary of the board. The charges
were reduced to writing and all wit
nesses were sworn before notary
and the evidence taken by stenog-
rapher. The investigation consumed
three days, and at it's conclusion, both
sides testified as to the impartiallty
The fullest latitude was given in tes-
| tifying and cross examination per-
mitted.
The Charges Filed.
The charges in brief were that the
superintendent is inefficient; know
ingly retains inefficient teachers in
oral work who have not had oral
training; the deaf department has
less oral training than during last
year; does not make the children's
welfare the first consideration of the
school; allows his wife to continuous
ly make trouble among thu teachers;
retains teachers whose moral char
acter should not permit them to re-
main among children who are help
less, physically and mentally; pre-
emptorily dismissed teachers without
chance for investigation as to the
character and qualifications and re-
tains a part of their salary; bad su-
pervision in departments and classes
and that Montana appropriates more
money per capita for the care of deaf
children than does any other st tie,
yet ranks the lowest in results; Men
zemer does not take proper interest in
feeble-minded children and their in
stitution; is too pro-German to be
superintendent of any American in
stitution or school; salaries paid were
sufficient to secure best teachers, but
he employs many entirely inefficient
for their work; openly discussed the
bad conduct of some of the teachers,
but retains them in the school; Boul-
der the only school that has not an
oral department.
Kissed Child; Shocking!
The sworn evidence disproved ev-
cry charge made by the complainant.
Menzemer was she n to be an eff
cient, careful. painstaking and earn
est official and the teachers to be eff
ficient and the school of such high
grade that out of IS applicants for
entrance to the Washington College
for Deaf three were from Boulder
and one of the list headed the list in
standing.
With reference to the charge as
to moral standing of teachers, the
Investigators found this utterly un-
founded, the only case being that of a
teacher who had kissed a pupil and
the superintendent had retained this
teacher at the request of the parent
of the kissed child. The teachers are
declared to be of the highest moral
standing
Menzemer an American
TO the charge that Menzemer was
too pro-German, the board found
that he is a loyal American citizen
and stands by his flag and the coun-
try of his birth.
Miss Alcorn stated she had other
charges that she did not care to in
clude, and the board replies to this
by saying that insinuations as to the