Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-07
DR.. CARUSI SCORES
SECRECY IN BOARD
School Head Declares Meet.
ing Transactions Should Be
Revealed to Public.

The end of secret conferences on all
public school business. except that
which involves the reputation of indi-
viduals, was forecast definitely today by
DR.. Charles F. Carusi, president of the
Board of Education. following the
boards decision, at his suggestion, late
yesterday to conduct further discussions
on two pending proposals in public
sessions.
The proposals are amendments TO
present school board rules-one author
izing the withholding of diplomas from
pupils guilty of any one of several Of
lenses now punishable by suspension,
and the other proposing the, abandon,
Ynent Of the anti-fraternity pledge card
system by which school of1ciais now
are supposed to be able to keep tab
on high school students membership IN
unapproved organizations.
Three weeks ago the school board
referred the two questions to its COM
mittee on rules, and when DR.. Carusi
asked for the committees report and
recommendations yesterday Mrs. Mary
A. McNeill, chairman. announced that
the rules group had not come to an
agreement on either during secret
conference last week.
Statement Is Prompted.
This announcement inspired a state
ment by DR.. Carusi. in which he pointed
out the absence of public approval Of
the proposals. On the other hand, he
said, there is much Misunderstanding
the fact that all school board discus
SionS on both projects have been held
In executive sessions, from which news
paper reporters were barred. This pro-
cedure, he said, had prevented the
boards real reasons for proposing the
amendments from becoming public.
Enlarging upon his recognition of the
disadvantages OF closed meetings, DR..
CaruSi declared he knew no reason why,
persons regulations, all school business
should not be talked of in open meet
ingS. He suggested then that the di-
withholding question and the
anti-fraternity pledge card abolition be
thrashed out by the board sitting pub
licly as q committee Of the whole in
the near future.
The suggestion was acted upon unan-
imouSly by the rest Of the board.
The offenses for which it is proposed
70 withhold diplomas from students,
notwithstanding the fact they may have
completed the prescribed course, are
Immoral conduct, indecent language,
violent or pointed opposition to author
ity, persistent disobedience or disorder,
dlSnONGSCy or unLruLnIul0eSS, naDlCuA
hardness, unauthorized absence or un-
clearly condition Of person or cloth
ing"
Reason for Proposal.
In his brief statement to the board
DR.. Carusi explained that the proposal
arises from the existence Of the Dis
trict's compulsory school attendance
law, which in effect requires US to take
q child, regardless of his character,
and educate him without imposing upon
us any responsibility for his character
building, and without, in fact, giving us
any medium with which to enforce
character standards"
I'VE might say we've no right to
bother about moral character" DR..
Carlsi continued, but after five years
sitting on this board I've concluded
that the parents Of these children sent
to US expect US, If not to uSurp their
own character '%xaining powers, to CO.
operate with them in making good citi-
zens out Of these young Americans In
our public schools. -
I'VE are compelled to educate these
children, even though some Of them do
not want It, and despite the fact that
some parents even do not want their
children in school. If there Is conduct
prejudicial to society on the part of q
pupil, we must keep that pupil in our
schools. At present We must remedy
that situation, or else we must definitely
take the position that we will have