New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-04-25
THEY SHALL NOT speak,

THEY SHALL NOT SPEAK,
Abridgment of the principle of free
dom of speech is an innovation in the
administration of school department
affairs. For what is believed to be the
first time in New Britain's history,
the Board of Education has served
notice on the teachers that criticism
of the board will meet with discharge
To read any other meaning into the
/ resolution adopted by the Board of
! Education yesterday would be to
avoid the truth. -
All public departme nts Justly desire
cooperation on the part of their, en-
ployess but this desire should not be
carried to such an extent that the
employees are forbidden to criticise.
tEhattis gag. rule, no more, no less. The
Board Of Education is elected by the
people and is responsible to the peo-
/ pie. 1T is composed of men who are
high minded and some who are not
$50 high minded. 1t is:a puzzle. how
the high. minded. men were ever per-
lsuaded to endorse the. resolution
which has for its object the wedding
out of<the teachers who. asserted their
Constitutional. right to find fault with
"a. public institution created by the
Z public and paid for by the public.
During the recent unpleasantness
I when the Board of Education was un-
! der fire, thee charge was made that
racy. This was denied and many ac-
4 cepted the denial, believing that
! few teachers had become hysterical.
The decision of the board to cross ex-
J. majesty is the most convincing evil
! dence presented that there was foun-
dation for the charge.
!. The Board, OF Education. has the le
from the teachers for the sake of adj
rrinfstrative efficiency, 1t has the
4loaal and moral. right to dismiss
<toaclcrs who are proved. guilty of ma
lieious disloyaelLty, butzin s:@lpresent
l6lc it is prosecutor, judge and: jury
and unless the members are superior
to the general run of mankind they
will be unable to give unbiased, un-
prejudiced consideration to each case
brought before them. There is a diff
ference between criticism and abuse
There is a wide difference between
criticism and dfsloyalty. =
If the Board of Education knows
of any teacher that has maliciouslS
sought to undermine the school au.
thorities that teacher should be
dropped. The board must know o:
such cases. No prosecutor tbrings {
case into court. until he is certain o
presenting the evidence to convict. II
the case of the Board of Education
no court is necessary. If convictins
evidence has been obtained the boart
should refuse to re-engage the teach
er. But the whole teaching bod,
should not be subjectedAto the hu
initiation, of going, before the. suprem
tribunal, from whose decision there i
no appeal except to the civil courts
and giving an account other. acts am
words.
The Board of Education is everlast
tngly right in trying to bring about
xsynchronous teaching staff but it ha
erred in the method to be pursued. L
fairness to the board, it may be sal
that it proposes to dismiss only thos
who are guilty of malicious false
hood and misrepresen tation," in tn
language of the resolutions. But tn
board which prefers the .charges wi
determine whether the criticism ha
been malicious or otherwise. An
that is unfair.
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