Evening star., 1951-05-28

Juvenile s
Miss Helaine A. Todd resigned
today as director of social iUork
at the controUerSy-ridden June
nile Court. FOLLOWING is her let
ter of resignation to Juvenile
Court Judge Edith H. CockriH.
Dear Judge CockrilI:
am again presenting my resig-
ration.
After your speech to the staff
Friday morning and your subse-
quent conversation with me that
afternoon, I can no longer re-
main silent.
On April 30. when L first pre-
sented my resignation to you, the
Study Committee requested that
I withhold it. At that time, I
could accept the Study Commit
tees viewpoint that you should
be given an opportunity to carry
out the Committees proposed
remedies before I acted. My al
legiance to this agreement was
shaken the very next day when
without waiting for the Studv
Committee TO make its report
you issued a restatement of your
information order even more re-
strictive than the one which had
prompted my original resignation
The doubts occasioned by this
action were confirmed by youl
statements of Friday. Much as
regret it, can no longer be bound
by an agreement made by me in
good faith but under different
circumstances. My obligations tr
the court as an institution and
TO the community require that ]
be free to speak.
Effects of Ruling
Since the receipt of your first
directive on March 19 prohibiting
the release of information. I have
brought innumerable instances tn
your attention of the effect Of
your ruling upon the welfare Of
children and adults. You have
been fully informed on the va
riety of individual case problem:
created from the time of you:
first order.
I have also sought to have you
consider alternate ways of meet
ing the requirement of the law a.,
you interpret it. Now you have
stated to the staff that it is
their fault that others find hard
ship in your ruling. You have
further stated to me individuals
that it is your opinion that WI
of the Social Service Division
have aroused community objec.
tion by being stupid" in reply
ing to case questions asked of us
cannot support, nor stane
quietly by, while you endeavor Il
place the blame outside yourself
For more than two months
the staff has tried Conscientious.
to observe your regulation. I ant
they have directly experiences
the distress which comes from
having to withhold help which
was ours to, offer because VI
could not speak clearly about tn
needs of those who expected tn
Court to help instead of hinder.
It was not easy for the proba
ton officer who had to withhol
a reply to the Hospital Permit Blu
reau when told that sick moth
er. waiting to be taken by ambu
lance to the hospital wanted tn
Court to verify that she was no
receiving support from her hus
band. She could not wait no
could the Hospital Permit Blu
reau afford the time of stat
member to come to the Court t.
inspect the docket for this in
formation.
Question of Waiting.
Nor does your plan as state
to the staff on Friday solve tn
problem. You said that all ques
tions are to be referred to yol
What is going to happen to chill
dren and adults who must wa
while, these individual question
are brought to you for answer?
When I pressed you as to whs
could be said in referring cast
to social agencies, you replied ths
we could only state that OF
knowledge and experience was OF
casioning us to ask another agenc
to give its help. How can sue
a remark give another agency tt
information it needs before al
cepting a case? How do yc
reconcile such a definition of n
ferral with your statement
the staff that you did not inter
to prohibit reasonable relation
ship with the social agencies
the community
Paramount as these question
are-ln the lives of people, I mu