Evening star., 1920-03-05
EDUCATION BOARD
TO VISIT SENATORS
win Seek to Justify Their
So-CaIIed Secret
Meetings.

Members of the board of education
are preparing to go before the Senate
special committee next Tuesday and
present evidence jus;ifying the So
called secret meetings of the board,
not only as being within the law. but
also AS a necessity to protect innocent
people.
THE clear intent of the law is TO
protect the reputation of members Of
the teaching force" said one member
today. The board has construed
teachers to include officers. The law
dealing with the subject says: The
organization meeting and all meet
ings whatsoever thereafter shall be
open to the public except committee
meetings dealing with the appoint
ment of teachers
Now the board has construed ap-
pointment to include promotion and
demotion. 1t has discussed these sub
JectS in committee Of the Whole
behind closed doors. and any other
course would have been productive of
inevitable injury to the system. 1t
has also taken up charges affecting
the moral character of teachers be-
hind closed doors. Merely ts allege
openly certain kinds Of offe Nses is
of teacher as to prove the oVense.
We purpose to make this clear to
the Senate committee. We believe no
member of Congress would stand Eor
an airing Of such cases where action
was not to follow"
Ar to Charges Brought.
It was pointed out that charges o1
the most vicious nature, unsupported
by competent evidence, are brought
against teachers at almost every
meeting. Unless there are good
grounds for proceeding with an in
vestigation the matter Is handled en-
der to protect the person accused. The
most recent case of this sort. it was
shown. was finally dismissed for lack
OF evidence, at last Wednesdays open
meeting. where g. high school teacher
was charged with offensive behavior
toward one of his girl pupils.
"The board has never taken formal
action except in public" DR.. John Van
Schaick, president. declared, when
questioned about Ernest L. Thurston's
accusation regarding the work the
board has done behind closed doors.
Of the board, quite emphatically ex-
pressed himself concerning the neces-
sity FOR meetings Of executive char.
acter. discussing the matter with a
reporter for The Star.
The board has always considered
itself simply as committee of the
whole when sitting behind closed
DOORS" 1t was stated in a conversa-
ton with board members today con-
cerning Mr.. Thurston's complaints.
Appointments are the kind Of things
about which divisions are more apt to
arise than about anything else. There
ie no question but what that kind Of
procedure has led to unity rather than
division in the board.
There is not q single case Of record
where the board has voted down
recommendations for appointm ents
made BY the suYerintendent. That is
largely due to the fact that appoint
me1ts have been talked over frankly
with him behind closed doors'
One Case 10 withdraw.
It was ASSERTED that in only one In.
stance had Mr.. Thurston withdrawn
q name after hearing the reasons Of
the different members Of the board
against the candidate. In that case
tth'y ~, were IN - Of fact.
drew tho namn.
mentioncd." .tid Mrs.. Msrssrits
best judgment darersd from his that
Ib.n hay, aSs sx
None Of the hoard members was
willing to give out = statement today |
covering this or any other phase OF |
the controversy, on the ground that |
70 do 20 would 30 disoourtsous to the
Senate eo,nmistee, It was understood
pressed sharp discieasura because
both sides to the controversy have |
shown q tendency to try the case In |
the newspaperu,"