Evening star., 1925-04-09
BOARD TO FIGHT
'FRATS" IN COURT
Lloyd Announces Readiness
to Oppose Any Move
by Sigma Delta.

The board of education stands ready
to defend itself against any legal
proceedings over its ban on Wash
ington high school fraternities. This
was the answer of President James
T. Lloyd today to the action of Sigma
Delta Fraternity last night in decid
ing to carry out it's plan to take the
night against the boards anti-frster-
nifty rule into the courts.
Mr.. Lloyd declined to comment on
the prospective court proceedings ex-
cept to say that the board is pre-
pared. Board members have held
conferences with Corporation Counsel
Francis II. Stephens, and feel CON
fdent that the ruling against the
secret societies will be upheld in
tribunal
A temporary restraining order will
be petftfoned for Immediately. the
fraternity decided. A motion will be
made later for a permanent injunc-
ton.
A meeting was held in the assem-
bly, hall of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association. in The Star
Building. and was attended by the
parents of many Of the high school
fraternity members who have pledged
their support in the movement. J.
Milton Probey, chairman of the exec
utive committee of Sigma Delta, pre-
sided.
In calling the meeting to order ne
announced that the fraternities have
"dilly dallied long enough" "The
Board Of Education Is staIling," he
said. Arbitration has failed. We
must fight"
Urges Fight in Court.
Describing school officials as "an
G y q IN Int pra
ley OF the Western Home and School
Association. advised that nothing
could be expected from the school
board Rev. Edward Tabor, an alum
nus Of Central High School and pastor
of a church in Baltimore, spoke in
defense of the fraternities. The pur
poses and influences of fraternities
are presented, he said. The
anti-fraternity rule, he explained, has
been proved absolutely unenforceabIe,
while members of the secret organi
cations are being prosecuted.
The parents who attended the
meeting were unanimous in their eN-
pressions that membership in tn"
fraternities has been beneficial. One
parent said: My sons membership
in his fraternity has been the out
standing beneficial incident of his
high school career. Due solely To
arshlp has improved noticeably, 10
say nothing of his activity and stand
ing in all other lines of school en-
deayor.
Lawyers Say Rule Is Void.
THE members of this particular
fraternity are all leaders in school
work. They meet in my home and
in the homes of my neighbors.
Everything they do is under the su-
pervision and almost in the presence
of the parents. We know where our
boys are and with whom they are
associating. / fail to see where fra
ternity membership, under the cir
cumstances, can be in the slightest
degree harmful"
More than half a dozen of the par
ents present were lawyers, and they
were unanimous in their opinion that
the boards rule is illegal.
Generous offers of financial assist
ance in the fight were made by those
attending the meeting. A representa-
tive from Phi Alpha Epsilon of
Eastern High School pledged $50. The
chairman of Sigma DeItas interchap-
ter council pledged $3.50 and said he
thought $3.50 more could be had. A.
H Gregory, whose son has been de-
barred from some school activities at
Eastern for his connection with a
condemned fraternity, pledged $50.
Counsel to BE Retained.
A committee was appointed by
Chairman Probey to select and retain
counsel and arrange court proceed
ings. 1t is composed of Ira L. Ewers,
]. Harper Snapp and Norman Weeks.
John E Laskey, former United
States District attorney. was men
toned as the lawyer who Will be ap-
preached to handle the case.
Another committee was appointed to
handle the finances for the court pro-
ceedings. Mr.. Probey will be the
chairman. Other members are Charles
Van Meter, Porter Shreve, Francis
Moreland, J. F. Sweeney and Mr..
Gregory. An immediate goal of $1,000
was fixed.