Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-03
CHANDLER IS SUSTAINED
BY CITY SCHOOL BOARD
Action I'm Reducing Assistant Princi.
pal Riddick In Rank and
Pay Is Approved.
II II IN a $ Is REpRIAIASDED
Man Who Brought Charges Accused
OF INSTRUMENTATION in Failing to
Attend Highland Park School, to
Which He Had Been Transferred.
THoM is REpRIMANDED

OF INSTRUMENTATION in Failing to
Attend Highland Park School, to
Which He Had Been Transferred.
In the face of charges brought BY r.
the Richmond city schools teaching
/, force of q. 4. Rddick. the CITY School
Board last night unanimously upheld
the action OF Superintendent j. A. e.
Chandler in demoting him TO the rank
of teacher. with decreased salary from
the assistant principalship OF the Belle
vue Prevocationai school and trans
ferring him to another school Mr.
Riddick was charged with lneficiency
in administration and conduct unbecom-
ing "A teacher.
Because he failed TO report for duty
yesterday morning at the Highland
Park School. where he had been trans
ferred from the Prevocational School
on account of his disagreement with
Mr.. Riddick. Mr.. Thomas was adjudEed
guilty of inSubordination and rcpri-
manded. Mr.. Thomas explained at the
meeting last night that he had tried
to notify the principal yesterday morn
ing that he could not take up his new
duties IN Highland Park promptly, as
ne had 10 take care of some property
in the Prevocational School. The full
| penalty for insurbordination is dis
missal from the service.
For more than three hours las, night
the board heard evidence on the
charges After listening to the testi-
Tnony OF many witnesses and the ar
,.guments of the opposing sides. the
board went into executive session at
I l o'clock
ACCUSED OF SMOKING
AND USING PROFANITY
The charges were first made public
last week. when MIR. Thomas accused
Mr.. Riddick of smoking and using pro-
family in the school building OF falling
to cooperate with his teachers in en-
forcing discipline and in being gen
eraiiy inefhcient in administration
Discontent. according TO testimony pro-
duced last night. has been developing
among certain teachers Of the school
for several months. In an effort to
remedy conditions. w. II. Maeee. su-
perintendent of vocational training in
the Richmond schools, and Ernest
Shawen, principal Of the Preyoca,i ,ional
school. recommended that Mr.. Thomas
and Mr.. Riddick he transferred 10 diff
ferent parts OF the city. Superinten-
hent Chandler carried out the suEges-
ZION, but Mr. Thomas remained dis
satished. and pressed the charges.
!. W. Smith represented Mr.. Thomas
In the hearing before the School Board
ana Mr. Riddick defended himself.
witnesses called were DR.. !. a. C.
chandler Ernest Shawen. principal of
me school; L. G. Dawson. patron
or the school. and W. r. Nchlitt. 4. c.
hrupar. George Anderton. BENJAMIN
hocklin, p. T. Taylor. J. Horace Brown
and j. y. Holland. teachers in the
school.
RIDDICK DENOTED
AND PAY REDUCED
Mr. Shawen stated that he had in
HestiEated the conditions in the school
with W. II. Magee. and that they found
the charges of Mr.. Thomas partly sus-
tanned. Dr. Chandler reported that he
had denoted Mr.. Riddick from the po-
sition of assistant principal decrea
ms salary and transferred him to an
other school as result OF the inyesti-
CATION. and that he had transferred
Mr. Thomas to another school without
changing his rank or pay. in an effort
to restore harmony.
Mr.. Thomas declared that he con
sidered it punishment to be removed
from the Prnvocational school lie said
also that he believed school children
were i'm moral jeopardy when under the
influence of Mr.. Riddick lie attributed
pad discipline in the school largely to
the assistant principal In the investi-
cation conducted by Mr.. Shawen and
Mr ho
subjected to discourtesy and threatened
with discharge.
The testimony produced varied wide
~ Some of the teachers of the Pre-
vocational School declared that they
considered tho dscord in the school
que to Mr.. Riddick. that he lack ed tact
and ability as an administrators, and
that he was personally unfit to serve
either as principal or teacher. These
charges were denied by witnesses in.
troduced by Mr.. Riddck.
y. {. Dawson father of former
PUBL at the Prcvocational School. said
In support of the charges that unless
changes were made. the school would
be failure. lie believed. he said. that
Mr Riddick was lmwise In his conduct
OF the school and that his own son had
not received fair treatment from him.
The charges OF profanity and unwise
administration were those most strong
ly pressed against Mr. Riddick last
night 1t was brought ont that tho
assistant principal had used improper
language in teachers. meetings at
which only men were present. Or
Chandler stated that he had called for
the resignation OF Mr.. Riddick when
the earlier investigation reported that
profanity had been used, but that ne
had reconsidered at the promise of the
offender to conduct himself with more
.propriety In the future.