The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-06-06

morning at the June meeting of the
County Board of Education, when the
Board, in response to the direct ques
ton whether Preston S. Vann would be
reappOinted County Superintendent of
Schools if the majority of the people of !
the county desired his reappointment, /
one member of the board said he
thought not, and another emphatical1y |
declared mo!
| In response to repeated questioning
as to their reasons for opposing Vann,
one member of the Board, w. G. Cox, I
of the Weeksville section intimated
| that the financial records Of the super
intendent had not been kept accurate !
| ly, but later admitted that proper cor
rections had been made, by this ad
mission clearing Vann of the single
| charge openly made against him.
Popular sentiment as manifested by the
| thirty or forty representative citizens
| of all sections of the county present
at the meeting, is that of high re-
sentiment and indignation at the arbi-
trary action of the Board in absolutely
defying the expressed wish of the peo-
pie to retain Prof. Vann as the head
of our county schools, without giving
good and sufficient reasons, for their
hostile attitude toward him.
At the opening of the Board meeting
Monday morning, John Harrison OF
Weeksville, presented, petition sign
ed by the 500 members of the Junior
Order of Pasquotank county, protest
ing at the action of the Board in dis
charging Vann, and asking for his re-
appointment at the July meeting of the
Board. J. M. Leroy, chairman OF the
Board, countered. with the statement
that vann was not being discharged,
6 but had been notified that he would
not be reappointed July first at the
. expiration OF his term of office. Re-
Ipeatedly asked to give reasons for his
n attitude toward Vann, Leroy said tnat
e he had no statement to make at the
u present time. w. J. Saunders, repre-
senting the Weeksville council OF the
:, Junior Order, then rose and in oenaH
= of the order requested the retention
of Prof. Vann, or statement OF a rea-
i. sonable cause for his dismissal NC
reasons were given Mr.. Saunders by
the Board.
w. Ben Goodwin, representing Pas'
:. auotank tribe of the Red Men. Wh1ct
p includes substantial citizens in an par Il
. of the county, then read resolutions un
animously adopted by his order, slm1lal
in nurport to the petition of the Juniors
,r Still the Board refused to give reason:
ct for it's stubborn attitude. Ansr!
Of rumors and indignant questions coul'
Of ha heard in all parts Of the room.
l. Leroy then stated that Prof Vanl
of
le nnaxnired eleven months of Supt. Hin
ID toms term of Office, and that sine
he Vann did not suit-the county Board
g, Education, for reasons best KNOWN
e. themselves, the Board had decloeo I
re get rid of him. Chairman Leroy SUI
,h withheld the reasons actuat1ns III
~ Board.
en- sunt. Vann then made statemen
7n to the effect that the entire State Wa
VI aroused over the surprising educatloh
al situation in Pasquotank In regaro
rs his dismissal and that the people
North Carolina could not understan
It. tho action of the Pasquotank Boaro
ee +bat Furthermore, as the situate
y" +,d his career as a school man
nS n1or+b Carolina was ended unless I
hs WAS cleared of the implied charge
~ incompetence which the Boaro 10
no wrought against him in dismissing hi
from the position of Superlntenoe'
without expressed reasons. he liz
W. roforred to a conversation he had ne
with w. G. Cox, member OIL u
ror po.,d in which Cox had express
But boafu' - v,,s work. and asl
ed Cox to explain his change OF a''
tude. Cox replied that since Id
December he had changed in MS opi
ion of Vann, insinuating that Vann III
been guilty of certain shortcorllil
0o which he (Cox) persistently retus
to name.
Then in reply to a question fre
Cox as to whether Vann kne" [
dr duties of the county superlnIenoe
Ol IF schools, vann replied that he M
two college degrees, bachelor OF ~
end and bachelor of laws; that ne neio
1icerse to practice law In the courts
the State; and that his entire NE
au. been devoted to school work. the
son seven years Of which he had ser'
will as county superintendent OF schoe
au- He stated that he felt qualified to ST.
nds that he knew the duties OF the sup
the intendent.
t 8 Cox then asked, HAS the Board e
r is made any unreasonable demands
,ets. the superintendent, and did the sup
axes intendent ever receive any repr1ms
the from the board =" Vann replied
lace. the negative. Cox then asked d
ason many times vann was asked to v
heir each school, and how many times
actually visited the Newland q
ram school. Vann answered that ne
any been requested to visit each SCI
hau- once each month, and that ne
pro- visited the Newland school three tlr
con- 1T developed that the Newland SCI
It to had only been running few mol
muse when it was closed down for the
and sion on account Of the flu. 1t hapl
this that Ralph Pool a teacher in the &C
this ty schools, was present, and he
than asked to state just how many tt
the superintendent had visited