Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-05-03
AMENDMENT FILED
IN MRS. SCOTT SUIT
case Against Mr.. Harrison
Stands for June Trial,
Attorney Says

AN amendment to the civil s1,it
LOT So,oOO brought by Mrs. Mae
orlogers Scott against r. c.. Harrison
was Illed in Vance Superior Court
late Tuesday, and the case stands for
trlal at the June term of court #
was stated today by j. P. Zollicoffer
Oh counsel for the plaintiff.
Inc case was brought to trial in
the OCTOBER term Of superior court
last 1all, but demurrer was asked
py the plaintiff and was overruled
Dy Judge Il. Hunt Parker, presiding.
Whereupon the plaintiff appealed to
the State Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court last month re-
Versed Judge Parker's Judgment. but
the decision, written by Associate
Justice A. A. F. Seawell. noted that
the plaintiff alleges that ''for some
tlme she was employed by the public
school system in North Carolina"
and added: Had she been present
ly so employed, there is no question
but that the words complained Of, in
the connection used, would be action
able per Sc as words tending to bring
the plaintiff in disrepute and injure
her in her occupation"
The decision concluded with the
statement: plaintiff will be given
reasonable time to amend her COM
plant, if she so desired" and then
ended with "the judgment overruling
the demurrer is reversed"
Mrs. SCOTS husband, Prof. B. A.
Scott, is and has been for several
years principal of the Dabney high
school. Mr. Harrison is chairman of
ton, having something to do with
the selection of principals and teach
ers in Dabney district" as stated in
the courts decision.
The ruling further stated that 'the
plaintiff alleges that because of the
slanderouS remarks of the defendant,
her husband was required to accept
as a condition to his reelection that
he would not seek reelection to his
present position of principal"
The SANDER charged, as stated in
Judge SeawelPs ruling, ''is that the
defendant falsely and maliciously ut
tered concerning the plaintiff: That
the laintiff while her husband, B. A.
Scott, was the principal of the pub
lie schools in Northampton county,
North Carolina, was forbidden by the
authorities in charge from going up
on the school grounds or premises
of the jackson hign school at Jack
son, North Carolina, for period OF
six months"
The courts ruling also said: "The
charge is further supplemented by
an allegation that the defendant stat
ed that the reason he was not re-
electing Mr.. B. A Scott was due to
the character and reputation Of his
wife"
There are fourteen counts in the
amended complaint filed with the
clerk of superior court late Tuesday,
the first one of which sets forth that
the plaintiff ''is school teacher by
profession, and school teaching has
been her profession for the last 18
years" 1t is alleged that during the
18 years she has never failed to teach
in the public schools Of the State
during any one year, and that for
the past II years she has been teach
ing in the public schools of Vance
county" at Dabney. 1t is contended
that the alleged statement by MIR.
Harrison does "tend to prejudice her
in her occupation or employment and
affect her in such employment in
manner that may, as necessary con-
sequence, and do, as natural con-
sequence, prevent her from deriving
therefrom that pecuniary reward
which probably otherwise she might
obtain"
The final count alleged "that by
reason Of said SANDER, at the eX-
piration of the school term 1888
1889, she cannot obtain a position as
a school teacher in North Carolina"