New-York tribune., 1921-02-23
Teacher Ousted
AS Insane Asks
Reinstatement
Miss Lena ZipfeI Pleads
Before the Assembly Com
mittee for the Wells Bill.
Nh arging Unfairness
From a star correanond.n.

ALBANY, Feb. 22.-Miss Lena Pin
iei' VINO was dismissed from the teach
ing staff of the New York CITY public
SchooI7 on charges of misconduct. de-
ciared insane, sent TO the Poughkeep-
sic State Hospital and released as sane
after more than two years inprl.on-
ment, appeared to-day before the As
sembly Judiciary Committee to plead
for favorable action upon the Wells
1lA, which would reinstate her ~ a
teacher.
Miss Zipfel charged that she had
not been given a fair trial when in
1910; she was dismissed after hear
ing before the New York CITY Board
Of Education; that she had bcen 80 rsii- u
Eoaued INTO an insane ASYLUM when
she came to Albany to fight her case
Tefore the Legislature after the State
department Of Education had upheld
board.
Miss Zipfe1's Story
The committee listened with keen
interest to Miss Zipfel. She said that
IN 1913 when she was teaching IN Pub
nc school 103 she was suspended bv
District Superintendent CorneIins
+ rankin. She was reinstated in Jam
uary, 1916. On January f8, 1918.
charges were preferred against Miss
Alpfe! alleging undue corporal punish
ment of one OF her pupils. She was
transferred to Public School IS. on Feb
ru&ry OF that year Three wesks
later cnarges were preferred against
nef, II beng alleged that She struck q
boy III the face with ruler. On Aplj! -
dent franklin asked Miss ZiDfel either
70 take a long leave Of absence or rosie,
"hen Miss Zipfel declined to heed t5is
request, a fourth set of CHARGES woe
logged against her. These alleged she
was Gnht to serve as a teacher on tho
ground that She was insane.
Inc charges specified among o+bar
thlngs that Miss zipfel had anneared
before her class attired in a bath rohe y.
that she had dealt cut heavy punish.
ments for triiing offenses; had stood
oet0re her pupils anG said "This is q
nell OF c.ass," ana aiso that she was
q"afreis9me and refractory with those
around her. The insanity CHARGE il
was shown at to-day's hearing. was dis.
missed after Dr.. William Mabon. 4
noted aienist, had declared her sane
Denied New Trial
This was on June ;, 1916. Ten davs
Letter, the Board Of Education proceeded
to try Miss Zipfel upon a "conpre-
hensive petition thst she should be
dismissed for cause" and on June 30
she was expelled from the public
schools after seven years of service.
Il have been called litigation
paranoiao," said Miss Zipfel to the COM
mittee; "people have laughed at me
and pointed their fingers at me because
| fought my own case when / did not
have money enough to rotaip counsel
All | ask is that | be given 3 chance
to earn a living. Since | was relaas I'd
from the state hospital a little while
aCo [ have been trying to make ends
meet by working in publishing house
I am getting $50 q month, which is
Fard.y Y enough to live on. Teaching is
my profession, the only way by which
| can earn living, and | cannot obtain
position as teacher anywhere so
ion~ os thinrs Stand the WOW thov d. "
When reference had been made to
the Imprisonment here of Miss Zipfel
in the observation ward of & local hos
pital and her subsequent commitment
NJ. Martin Of the committee asked Miss
Zipfel if it were not possible that she
might have been somewhat under q
strain at the time because of her CON
tinued fight.
"No," she replied. ~ am just as in
sane now as l have ever been in my
life. If am sane now | was sane then
/ was in an insane asylum two years
and three months, until / was set free
by Judge McAvoy upon recommends
ton Of q commission of alieuists.'