The Washington times., 1919-10-06
CLAIM BRUCE
WAS GOAT IN
SCHOOL ROW
COIOred Parents Now Blame
ThurstOn-WiIl Ask Invssti-
cation Of Administration.

The administration OF Ernest L
Thurston, Superintendent OF Schools
will be Investigated by the Parents
League Of washington, composed OF
/ more than 10000 colerod men and
| women, DR.. James I. Pinn. Of the
| league, announced today. The hrst
| step in this direction will be taken
/ tonight at q mass meeting Of the col
ored population Of washington, 70 be
! held IN the Vermont Avenue Baptist
Church.
Information has come into the
hands OF members Of the league that
the irregularities in the executive d.
rectinE Of the eolored schools BY Ros.
coe c. Bruce, assistant superintendent
OF schools, are due not 70 Mr.. Bruce
himself, but to superintendent Thurs
ton. The league has been Informed
that M Bruce Is being made the
"goatH Of school administration Of
hcials. As Mr.. Thurston has supreme
reign over the schools, members Of
the league declare he has issued or
ders that have put Mr.. Bruce IA an
unfavorable light before the public
eye.
Il is to investigate these charges
and to take further action IN the
Bruce case that the mass meeting
was called for tonight.
seek Justice.
While members OF the League still
ere vigorously opposed to Mr.. Bruce
as assistant superintendent. they are
anxious that he be cleared OF any
charges that are not true. Several
league members declare that the
Board OF Education Is using" Mr..
Bruce, in order to md grounds for
dismissing the present superintendent.
1t has been asserted time and again
that the board Is anxious to make q
change in administration circles.
Many members Of the board are
known to be opposed to Superin-
tendent Thurston
Resolutions viii be offered At to-
nights meeting, calling upon the
Board OF EDUCATION to make public,
or turn over to the Parents League,
copy OF the report made by the
investigating committee Of the board
last week. II was this report, gotten
up after several months investiga-
tion, that exonerated Mr.. Bruce from
charges made by the Parents League
and others. However, when the re-
port was presented, Fountain Peyton,
a member OF the committee, disagreed
with his associates and announced
he would make public q minority
report.
May Go to Congress.
When the meeting is held tonight
numerous men and women. prominent !
in colored activities In washington.
will speak. Among them win be Mrs..
z. n. Tanner, president Of the league;
Judge z. n. Hewlett, and r. r. Hor-
man, an eX-member Of the Board OF
Education. They will urge the col
ored people Of Washington to join
them in their efforts to have Mr.. Bruce
0usted from his present position.
II the board takes no action on the
resolutions TO be passed tonight, DF.
Pinn declares the league will 20 d.
rect 70 Congress. I'VE will not give
1p the hght under any circumstances" |
DR.. Pinn says, "and we hope to have /
the matter definitely settled before |
many months are up"
Ptcketing in front Of the Franklin /
school is continuing today. The ad- /
1ition Of new banners, with these /.
words inscribed: Bruce white /
y Washed. Thurston the goat" attract
I'd unusual attention today.
- may De pointed out that when |
he Board Of Education announced tFe
generation OF Mr.. Bruce From
charges made against him, the board
lid not make public the report Of the
committee.
Secrecy In Report.
No public announcement has han
made as to how Mr.. Bruce was cIeared
Y the charges. The public yzag onIV
old by the board that none Of the
.harges against the assistant guper-
ntendent were found true bv the in
'estigating committee. Despite the
act that one member Of the hoard
disagreed with the findings OF big
-ssociates, Washington has vet 10
earn what was in the report.
Back in August the committee ~
he board called hearings in the
franklin School to investiEate the
administration OF Mr.. Bruce. Tbese
earrings were secret. What trans-
ired during the seven or eight beaT-
ngs still is a mystery to ali but
hose directly concerned. Members
I the Parents League declare tbat
he evidence presented at the meet
lg was sufficient to cause the dis
- l