Evening star., 1920-03-27

VI tHt cudTSeS ana the IecoTu III SHo
department of Justice. Miss Hunter
was allowed TO teach. wasn't she
asked Senator Harrison. Whose
fault was it?"
Mr. Thurston said he had not at
tempted to- place the b.ame. He said
that in December. when the charges
came into his hands. he had imme-
diately stated that Miss Hunter
should be dismissed He said that DR..
Learned was in the Department of
.lnsticc. that he had suggested that
! Miss Hunter was to he an important
witness in the MoenS case. and that
action against her al that time might
intimidate this important witness
1T was war time. and deferred my
Judgment" said Mr. Thurston- 81
felt that the schools We're protected
ly the stop order against Moens."
Later, he said, Or Learned had
written him he had better bring up
the Hunter case. since the Noens trial
had been delayed. He replied that he
had been waiting only because of the
recommendations of nr. Learned:
Il presented the ease of Miss Hum
ter in the hoard conference on March
1s- 1919. said Mr. Thurston. For
the same reason the board held up
the ease there. fearing to interfere
with the Moens case. until April IL
Mr.. Thurston said that when he
brought up the Hunter case he recon-
nended that Miss Hunter should be
relieved of her job. He said that he
asked DIR. Learned to make a state
ment to the board. as he was more
familiar with the case
Case of Miss Motcn.
The superintendent then took up the
case of Miss Moten. principal of tho
Miner Normal School. He said thai
Mrs. Cook. n member OF the board
had charged him with failure to act
and that he made no Tecomm enda-
IN hot O SalH nr
temptS had been made to have Miss
Noten relieved principal of ths
Normal School for a long time. an'
that the case came 10 him soon after
he became superintendent.
Mr. Thurstou told the committee
that he had made a thorough investi-
cation and had determined that Mis-
Noten should remain as principal He
said that he made an exhaustive re
port to the board of education In re-
gard to Miss Motcn. At a meeting II
June. 1915, which he described as ;he
most stormy he had ever attended, his
report submitted.
1T developed that a majority of the
members of the board wanted her re-
moved" said Mr.. Thurston. Il am a
timid superintendent. but I stood by
my recomme ndations, although some
of my friends told me it might cost
me the superintendency. The super
intendent did act in this case and Miss
Moten was continued on the job.
Senator Harrison wanted to know if
all the colored members on the board
had opposed Miss Moten.
The witness replied that one. DR..
Charles Marshall. had supported her,
and the report had gone around that
he was not reappointed to the board
because Of it.
Senator Harrison wanted to know
whether the superintendent had
changed his mind about Miss Moten
since then.
Failing Through Deafness.
Mr.. Thurston replied that he real
ized that Miss Moten was falling
through deafness. but that she would
be retired with honor shortly and
would go out of the school system ''in
the right way" He said that she had
done a splendid work for the coIored
schools since she entered the system
in 1888.
Referring to the matter of allow
ing the assistant superintendent of
colored schools TO sit in the board
meetings. Mr. Thurston said that he
had not opposed the proposal that the
two assistant superintendent should
attend the executive conferences of
the board. which were held before the
public sessions. He insisted, however.
that the board had never taken any
formal action on the matter, though
Mr. Bruce had been called in and
finally had been allowed to sit in the
public sessions
II have no objection today to his
attending the executive conferences"
said MIR. Thurston. but ] do think
that the superintendent should be rec
ognized as the representative of the
administration of all the schools"
Senator Harrison wanted to know
what prompted the members of the
board TO summon the assistant super
Intendent to the meetings Mr. Thurs
ton replied that he believed the per-
sonai feelings of the members of the
board were involved
Taking up the charge made against
him by Mrs. Cook that he had been
slow in installing the platoon system
in the Mott Colored School, Mr.. Thurs
ton declared that he had done all he
could to hurry il along. and that final
1y IL was on the recommendation of
the assistant superintendent and the
principal of the Mott School that the
installation of the system was post
poned until next September.
IN t"king mp the case of Miss Wood
Mr.. Thurston said he first learned of
IL in d letter written him by Mr..
Larner in February. 1919. saying
complaints had reached him that Miss
Wood was teaching bolSheviSm in the
Western High School Mr.. Thurston
was asked in the letter TO find out
principal of the school, and bring the
matter before the board of education
at its next meeting
II wrote to DIR. Newton and referred
the complaints to him." said the wit
ness "and asked him particularly
whether Miss Wood had given cause
for criticism a number of times or
only on one occasion. and he replied
that there was but one instance.
When as asked. / laid the facts
before the board at its next meeting
it Immediately decided to conduct an
investigation. / think they had that
right. Dr. Learned and Mrs Gerry
We're named as a committee to make
the inquiry and ! was to sit with the
committee. Mr.. Hamilton. as head of
the board. was always courteous about
having me a party TO such hearings
Conference by Committee.
Il went to Mr.. Bradley, one of the
complainants against Miss Wood. for
further information. and he made out
a memorandum which l submitted to
I,r. Learned on March i the com
,nittee held A conference, at which
DIR Newton was present a friend
Of Miss Wood. the law providing for
a friend of the accused to be present
in such a proceeding. DR.. Learned did
most OF the questioning There was
no comforting of the committee mem
hers. but DR. Learned made il clear
TO Miss Wood that she had committed
an indiscretion in the discussion with
her. pupils.
when Mr.. Thurston went on to say
that no meeting Of the committee was
held following the one at which Miss
wood was present, and that il had
made no concrete recomm endations
To the board. Senator Walsh ques-
toned him at some length and seemed
to thnk the committee had not fully
d diScharEed its duty
Why was il that the committee did
not report on each Of these nine allie
cations against Miss Wood and rec