The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-05
TURN DOWN
CHARGES IN
BRUCE CASE
Board of Education Refuse to
Consider Allegations Against
School Official As Evidence.

Charges against Roscoe C. Bruce
colored assistant superintendent OF
schools. preferred by the Parents
League. composed of 10000 ,colored
people OF Washington, have been re-
fused as evidence-without an inves-
tigation-by the Board of Education.
This was learned yesterday after
noon during the meeting of the board
in the Franklin School. ..t.-
1.-The charges against Mr.. Bruce By
George c. Smith, chairman of the
committee on public schools of the
Central Northwest Citizens Associa-
ton, are now in the hands Of the Cor
poration Counsel of the District"
stated George Z. Hamilton, president
Of the board.
"other charges do not furnish suf-
ficient grounds upon which to base an
investigation"
The "other. charges mentioned by
Mr.. Hamilton are those made by the
Parents League, which accuses Mr..
Bruce, among other things, of inef-
fieiency.
Will Publish Anidavits.
Members of the Parents League
stated today that affidavits and other
evidence in the Bruce case, which
have heretofore been kept under
cover" by the league in anticipation
of public hearing by the board, will
be published within a few days.
The Parents League knows" said
the Rev. ]. Milton Waldron, one of
the officials OF the league, today,
that II these affdavits were sub
mitted to, the Board of Education, an
Investigation would not be ordered,
but the affidavits would be turned
over to the corporation counsel, and
through one way or another kept
buried for a year or so.
This is the reason 70 rthe de-
mand of the Parents League that a
public hearing, to which all persons
interested in the welfare of the col
ored schools might be admitted in
order to form their own opinions on
the evidence offered.
Gear Removal Demand"
"Since the Board of Education has
declined to conduct a public hearing
the colored people are inclined to be-
lieve that the board is apprehensiye
Of a general demand for Mr.. Bruce's
removal at once, If such a hearing
were held
THE Parents League has been in
med, that certain members or a
sured the officials yesterday that the
movement against Mr.. Bruce was a
campaign conducted by irresponsible
persons, and that it would soon blow
over.
Deny IrrespOnsibiIIty.f
when approximately thirty-five or
forty colored clergymen Of Washing
ton support the PARENTS League, in
their fight against the retention of
Bruce, members OF the board can
hardly prove their contention that the
campaign is being conducted by ire
sponsible persons.
1T cannot be possible that the
Board of Education regards clergy
men as irresponsible"
The four attorneys of the Parents
League are engaged in preparing for
publication all the evidence which has
been gathered against Mr.. Bruce.
Another general mass meeting Of
the Parents League will be held. in
the Metropolitan A. VI. +. Church next
Tuesday night, after which the of
ficials of the league plan to make
public the specific charges against
Mr.. Bruce.
@SOmethinE Radically Wrong"
Public opinion has been known
to exert influence before, and al
though the Board of Education, py
the law, is responsible to no one fer
its actions, we believe public opinion
will force the board to take action
on the Bruce case" said the Rev Dr.
James L. Pinn. There must be some
thing radically wrong with a school
board which refuses to heed the ap-
peal OF 10000 mothers and fathers of
- Il.
any school official and also refuses
petition for an open hearing TO try
the case Of the same official.
But these 10000 mothers and IA
theirs should have known better than
to appeal to the board for a hearing.
AS in the case of Miss Wood. the
Board Of Education is continuing to
show its preference for star cham
beT' methods"
Mrs. F. S. Tanner. president of the
Parents League, stated today that
the pro-Bruce forces have been given
access to the 10000 names on the pc
titions for Mr.. Bruce's removal. sub
mitted TO the board several weeks
ago, and that these people are being
visited and asked TO take their names
from the petitions.
The school officials have no legal
alB III " pace the ptllliOnS at the ms
posal of the Bruce supporters, and
the Parents League believes that
such action shows favoritism." said
Mrs. Tanner
PrO-FOrces JubIIant.
The coIored people of Washington
who are supporting Mr.. Bruce in the
controversy with the Parents League
were jubilant today over the action
Of the board in refusing to accept the
evidence offered by the league, as evil
dence against the assistant superin-
tendent.
They are expressing their con
fidehce, too, that Bruce will be able to
clear himself of the charges pre-
ferred by the chairman OF the COM
mittee on public schools OF the Cen
trail Northwest Citizens Association.
While charges and counter charges
are flying back and forth between the
pro- Bruce and the anti-Bruce fac
lions, members of the Parents League
are preparing to withdraw their chill
dren from the public schools unless,
they say, the assistant superintendent
is removed before the start OF school