Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1948-06-05
Mrs Gladys Noel Bates And Husband Denied
Further Teacher Jobs In City SchOOl System
Other Teachers Blame Suit For Loss Of Jobs
White Observers in Class Rooms Near
End Of Term

Prof. ". b. CoDDlnS, supervisor
of Negro Schools of the City, in
the face of widespread rumors and
reports to the contrary, denied
early this week that any unusual
pressure hada been put on local
Negro school teachers as a result
of the suit filed here recently for
equalization of Teachers Salaries.
In his statement, Prof. Cobbins
made exceptions of the cases of
Mrs. Gladys Noel Bates, who filed
the suit, and her husband, Prof.
John nBates, Trades teacher at
Lanier High School, whose loss Of
jobs he said was a direct ad expect
ed result of the filing of the suit.
In the cases of the other teachers
who loss their jobs George Howell
and Birdie Graves of Smith oRbin-
son School, and Marian Michael OF
Sally Reynolds School, Prof. Cob
bins said that their loss of jobs had
nothing to do with the filing Of
the suit.
Meantime Miss Michael charges
that she loss her job because she
failed to deny her sympathy for
the suit, her desire for a better
salary, and her friendship and
admiration for Mrs. Bates for
filing the suit all of which she said
has become the ground for
teacher to be dismissed from the
city school system Miss Michael
maintains that she was fired by
her principal after all the princi-
pals of the city had been put under
official pressure to get rid any
teacher showing friendliness to
Mrs. Bates, or expressing any
favorable interest in the suit. Miss
Michael said that she has been at
Sally Reynolds school for the past
eight years. That she was a mem
Der of the School Committee, spon-
sor of the school paper, and have
always cooperated intellectually
in the school program.
In an interview with the Jack
son Advocate concerning the case
of Mrs. Michael, Prof. Luther
Marshall, Pricipal of Sally Rey-
nolds school, stated that he had not
been put under any kind of pres
sur whatever to get rid of any
teacher. He said. in the case Of
Miss Michael, that he had had
several disciplinary conferences
with her during the pass three
years, at one time going with her
concerning her case to Prof Cob
bins, Supervisor of the school.
Admitting his own lack of SYM
pathy with the suit, but solely as
regards the matter of time, Prot.
Marshall said that Miss Michael's
concern for Mrs. Bates and the
outcome of the suit had nothing
at all to do with his failure to
recommend her for the next school
year. He said that he did not again
recommend Miss Michael because
during the past three years he has
reached the conclusion that she
was pyscologically unsuited for
class room work.
In the case of Prof. Howell who
Was connected with the admins
tr2tive affairs of Smith Robinson
School, Prof. Cobbins said that the
failure to renew his contract was
solely cY account of the nature of
his work. n
Prof. Howell whom the Jackson
Advocate also interviewed refer
red both to his we'll known friend
ship with Mrs. Bates, and his aa-
miration and encouragement ~
her in the filing of the suit lie
said that although his contract had
been at first withheld, he was later
given a contract after a conference
with Mr.. Kirby Walker, SUIT. OF
the City School System, but that he
will resign before the coming term
Continued on Page 81.