Evening star., 1946-11-27
Petition for Removal
OF Benning School
Principal Studied

The Complaints and Appeals Com
mittee OF the Board Of Education to-
day had under advisement petition
by group Of parents for the remov-
al of Mrs. Ella D. Armes as principal
of the Benning Elementary School
after a stormy hearing yesterday
during which an overwhelming ma
jority of those present rose vigor-
ously to her defense.
When DR.. Hobart M. Corning
superintendent Of schools, asked fol
a standing vote, late in the course OF
the hearing, B3 Of those still in
the audience backed Mrs. Armes
Only IA persons stood up to oppose
her.
Mahlon Walters, Government at
torney, represented the minority
group from the schools Parent
Teacher Association, which brought
the charges that Mrs. Armes was
not suited to be principal of the
school. Some 20 alleged complaint!
were listed. Mrs. Armes denied al
the charges against her.
Among the charges against Mrs
Armes were that she was dictatoria
at PTA meetings, that she evictee
a child's dog from the playground
that 4 boy had to spend 30 mucl
time ringing the school bell that h
failed his work, and that she woul,
not give parents appointments TO
conferences.
Tells Of Near Riot"
John w. Carver described tn,
October meeting Of the PTA a!
having ended sin q near riot" HI
said the PTA president tainted aftel
Mrs. Armes demanded an explana.
tion about the system they were
using for writing checks.
Mrs. Armes explained to the COM
mittee that several checks written
by the PTA treasurer had been re-
turned from the bank because the
PTA had changed its system Of
countersigning checks without noti-
flying either the treasurer or the
principal.
II merely asked for an explana-
ton" Mrs. ArmeS said.
Elwood E. Stump of the River
Terrace Citizens Association gave
another explanation of the dis
turbance at the PTA meeting.
1.-THE riot occurred. not because
of Mrs. Armes," he declared, "but
because I moved the group consider
asking for the resignation Of Mrs
Walters wife of the attorney repre-
senting the petitioners. Mrs. Wal
ters then stood up and defied the
will of the assembly and said she
would not resign. She added that,
if in six weeks time Mrs. Armes was
not removed as principal, she would
quit.
And that's what started the
riot
Mrs. Sylvia Tlrkle rose to say
she laid all the blame for the trouble
at the feet of the Board Of Educa-
ton.
"You don't educate the parents, y
she said. The PTA should serve
the school and not run the school.
She was among those backing the
principal.
Mrs. Murray Frank blamed all
the trouble on Mrs. Walters, saying
she started a "one-mother move
ment to oust the principal because
OF prejudices."
Teacher Explains Striking Boy.
One of the teachers under Mrs
Armes was accused Of hitting q child
with q book in class. The teacher
Mrs. Mabel Jobe, denied the charge
saying she accidentally struck the
boy on the nose with the book while
making a gesture
Il asked him If it hurt, and he told
me it always bled easily" she said.
DR.. Robert Maurer, member OF
the committee pleaded for co-opera-
ton from the parents.
We've got to end the agitation at
the Benning School, no matter what
the result Of this meeting" he said.
The hearing Was held at the
Franklin School, Thirteenth and x
e&raafv NJ VIZ