The Washington times., 1919-12-07
DENIES DECISION
/. TIES SCHOOL HEADS
Dr.. Van Schaick Says Wood
Case Verdict Does Not Ham,
per Board of Education.

The ruling of Justice Hitz in the
District Supreme Court in the case
Q Miss Alice Wood, Western High
School teacher, will not limit in the
slightest degree our power to denote
or dismiss for incompetency, or to
discipline without trial." said Dr.
John Van Schaick. president, Board
Of Education, in an opinion today ex-
planning the reasons the board did
not appeal from the courts decision.
The right of the Board of Educa
tion to dismiss teachers for incom-
potency is unquestioned." DR.. Van
Schaick stated. The opinion made
public had the approval of the ma
iority of members of the board.
Miss Woods case. which created
nationwide interest. was reviewed
n the opinion.
The full statement follows:
The right of the Board of Educa-
ton to dismiss teachers for incom-
potency is unquestioned. No trial is
necessary. In any case, if the su-
perintendent says, This teacher
lacks sound judgment Tor fails to do
her work., / recommend her dis
nissal,' and If the Board of Educa-
tion votes to so dismiss. the teacher
has no redress under the law.
Whenever the superintendent of
Schools advises, warns. or rebulxes
for improper professional action, he
is within his legal rights. In the
Wood case, after complaint had been
made, If the president of the board
had suspended the teacher until the
next regular meeting of the board,
that action would have been legal
What we did, however, was first TO
ask the principal of the school to in
vestfgate, and, second, we sent a
committee Of the board to investi-
gate.
During this time the case became
known in the school and neighbor-
hood. and at once took the form as
2 reflection upon the moral character
of the teacher, as to whether she
was loyal or disloyal. In time of
great public excitement and sensi-
tiveness. no charge can be more seri-.
our than this. No asset of teacher
is greater than a reputation for
patriotism. In wartime to allege
disloyalty is to convince a large sec
tion of the public. The board voted
to punish this woman for alleged
utterances which reflected upon her
patriotism. They suspended her, and
uHeu HeI a weeks pay.
THE contention of the teacher was
that she should have had a trial
The contention of the board was that
no trial was necessary in a matter of
discipline. The committee of the
board which talked to the teacher
disclaimed to her any intention of
trying her. They presented to the
board a report that, in their opinion
she had been indiscreet and nothing
more. The board then administered
punishment contrary to the advice
and recommendation of the committee
The contention Of the teacher was
also, that IL she had convinced the
committee that the matter was not
a serious one, she might have con-
WINGED the board, If she had been
heard by them. I consider that con-
tention sound. The charges in real
ity were charges affecting character.
The rules for such cases were not
followed. The action of the court un-
questionably turned Upon this point.
THE mandamus in this case does
not limit in the slightest our power
to denote or dismiss for incompe-
tency or to discipline without trial
1t is easier for us to accept the judg-
ment of the court because the Board
OF Education has no question as to
the upright, loyal character and fine
professional attainments of this
teacher