Evening star., 1925-09-08
High School Fraternities.


Every citizen of the community
should be interested in the public
schools. Certainly every father and
mother is deeply concerned in the
local educa tional system. Therefore
the announcement that the Board of
Education is about legally" to adopt
an anti-fraternity rule is a matter of
more than passing moment. In con-
nection with litigation early in the
Summer. il was conceded, and the
District Supreme Court practically de-
cided, that the "antifrat' rule then
supposed TO be in force was invalid for
the reason that the required notice
had not been given members of the
board prior TO its adoption. Hence the
necessity for legally" adopting a new
rule.
Like all other questions, there are
two sides TO the fraternity issue in the
District public schools. The members
NJ the Board of Education themselves
at least up to June so last-were
not in agreement as TO hostility to
one other member were vigorously
opposed to the supposed rule and dis
tinctly in favor of the fraternities.
The board holds, broadly. that fraterni-
ties lin the high schools" are harm
full. Members of the organizations in
volved, and their parents. argue that
the societies are beneficial: that they
are not high school organizations"
in that membership is not limited to
high school, or even public school,
pupils, and, Furthermore, that the at
tempt of the Board Of Education to
dictate the action and movements of
the pupil after school hours consti-
tutes invasion of the home and
Nsurpation of the rights of the par
ent.
The matter approached head last
Spring with the disbarment from de-
sirable extracurriculum activities of
approximately one hundred high
school pupils because of admitted
membership in forbidden fraternities
and sororities. Court action followed.
Fhe president of the graduating class
and two other outstanding pupils of
Western High School, with their par
ents, filed petitions for writ of
mandamus to compel the restoration
nf the pupils in question to the school
activities from which they were
barred. Unfortunately, the case was
not decided on its merits. The court
ruled that the relatOrs did not come
into court with clean hands" holding
that the signing of certain pledge
cards prevented relief at the hands Of
the court.
An appeal was noted, but, il is un-
derstood, counsel has advised against
perfecting it, not alone because of the
expense to the pupils involved, but
due to the fact that the question be-
came a moot one with the graduation,
4 few days following the court ruling,
of those pupils. They could not now
be restored to the activities from
which they were barred, no matter
what the ruling of the Court of Ap-
peals should be. 1t is promised that,
if need be, a new case will be insti.
ruted, designed to compel a decision
of the question strictly on its merits.
The question should be so decided,
on its merits. The Board of Education
should not act hastily, or arbitrarily.
There is too much at stake. The
o.harge has been made that the board
acted heretofore without granting a
hearing to the interested pupils and
heir parents. 1t can well afford TO
reconsider the whole matter, calmly
and judicially. in the light of addi-
tionai facts and recent developments.
The new president, in open board
meeting hasNstated that there is no
rule which will continue effective for
ever.
1t is not seemly that pupils and
.-chooi officials should engage in court
litigation. The Star has heretofore
expressed the view that, without go
ing into the merits or demerits of
high school fraternities, their abso-
lutte elimination is herculean task.
Some substitute, some method OF
4ublimating the age-old instinct to
"join," must be found. II is the prob
lem of the Board of Education to ad-
ust the battling problem. COmpro-
mise may be necessary. If 80, the
board surely could compromise with
out loss of dignity or prestige. If so,
The fraternities certainly could do
likewise.