The Washington times., 1925-04-02
BRING
INDIVIDUAL
DAMAGE
SUITS
Parents to Aid Members In
Attempt to Lift Ban on
Societies

The high school "frat" fight will
be carried into the District courts.
That this has been definitely de-
cided was announced today by j.
Milton Probey, chairman of the
executive committee of Sigma
Delta fraternity, fifty-six members
Of which volunteered admissions
Of membership to high school
principals and were barred from
school activities in compliance with
the anti-fraternity ruling.
The Sigma Delta fraternity will
ask for an injunction restraining
the Board Of Education from en-
forcing its ruling which prohibits
high school students who are mem
bers of fraternities and sororities
from representing their schools in
cadet, athletic, dramatic and
similar activities.
Fathers to Aid Court Fight.
Many fathers Of boys who belong
to the fraternity have declared that
they will guarantee the expenses Of
the legal battle which is looming.
The plan which is being shaped to-
day calls for retaining as counsel
one Of the most prominent Wash
ington attorneys to represent the
fraternity.
1t was also indicated today that
the fraternity men will later push
suits for damages against members
OF the Board Of Education, on the
ground that comments on the fra
ternities have slandered their mem.
bers.
Fraternity leaders today ar.
studying the latest opinion of the
corporation counsel, which, they
believe, is none too clear r-cut on the
Board of Education having wide
powers over fraternity members.
Corporation Counsel F. H. Ste
vens in an opinion November S,
1928, draws a distinction between
organizations which the board can
outlaw and those which it cannot.
Difficult to Draw Line.
Admitting that it is difficult ''to
establish a line of demarcation"
between the organizations over
which the board has supervision
and those 1t cannot control, the
counsel said "it would
seem from the authorities to be
clear that in principle the Board
only membership OF it's pupils in
clubs. or societies
when the membership is directly
connected with the attendance of
the pupil upon the school" He
advises school officials to advise
pupils of this distinction before
they are required to sign the pledge
cards.
Sigma Delta leaders declare their
fraternity is not strictly a high
school fraternity, having admitted
members who were not at the time
students i'm the high schools.
This number includes Andreus
Jones, son of Senator Jones of New
Mexico, initiated while a student at
Dewitt Preparatory School; George
Fletcher, a student of ST. Adams
School; Porter Shreve,
Western High School. who was
lIlIiIdlSu Willie SIIiPLOSO W (iAS
Potomac Savings Bank. and several
others.
Fraternity leaders have com
planned heretofore that the Board
IF Education has not enforced the
'uling in the spirit Of the corpora
ion counsel's opinion.
Fathers of fraternity boys soon
will begin to lombard members of
he Board Of Education with letters
protesting against the disbarment
If their sons from school activities.
Fathers of Sigma Delta boys are
prepared to do this and others are
to follow.
Meanwhile, validity of the school
,oard's secret session on Monday
lfternoon is being questioned in
yiew of the rule of the hoard
which prohibits executive meetings
IF the board except for considering
of teachers.
Captain Jultua / ReXser has an