Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-18
Corning Timing
On Indignation
Challenged
School Head Asks
Williams to Wuit
For New Schedule
By jones 6. Deone

4
of Education next week.
| Wesley S. Williams, Negro
member, yesterday told DIR.
Corning he does not know how
the superintendent could defend
present plans to limit immediate
indignation to certain schools.
Mr.. Williams also warned that
the superintendent plan is
inviting lawsuits.
The Negro member, an attor-
ney. told DR.. Corning he will
face a flood of suits if he refuses
to admit Negro children to
schools where they apply next
fall.
He added that he already had
advised Scovel Richardson, Ne
gro member of the Federal Pa
role Board, to take his children
to a white School-Bancroft, at
Eighteenth and Newton streets
N.W.-next September. Ban
croft is not on the list of schools
where DR.. Corning so far has
proposed admitting Negro young
Sters that soon.
Corning Hints Solution.
DR.. Corning replied to Mr..
Williams that the board member
was anticipating things" He
urged:
mfr Williams won't you wait
for my time schedule next
week."
The superintendent did not
elaborate.
DR.. Corning is scheduled to
present a detailed Indignation
timetable to the board next
Wednesday. The board is ex-
pected at that time to make a
formal decision on how fast the
dropping of race bars in the
school system is to proceed
Mr.. Williams, on June 2, tried
to get the board to order COM
plete indignation in September.
He failed IN this on a split vote,
with five white members against
and the three Negro members
for.
After this vote, all members
voted to accept and file" DR..
Corning's recommendations for
partial indignation in the fall.
New Schedule Called For.
The board. at the same time,
instructed the superintendent to
bring in new timetable. how
ever. 1t did not specifically COM
NIT itself to abiding by the.
Corning recommendations.
DR.. Corning has proposed to
transfer a little less than 1000
colored children from 81 crowded
schools to Is white schools in
September. All senior high
schools would drop race bars in
February, however, and all other
schools would be open to both
races by September, 1855.
Mr.. Williams, in discussing
his position on Bancroft, cited
set of integration principles
which were adopted by the board
May %. The principles ban any
discrimination against pupils or
school employees on account of
race.
Mr.. Williams said that accord
ing to these principles, he did
not see how a colored child
could be refused admittance to
the school.
At the time the principles were
drafted Walter N. Tobriner, board
member who headed the special
committee that did the drafting,
said they were not intended to
govern the timing of the inte-
grafton program, and he said
they would not necessarily take
full effect in September.
Court Reaction Unknown.
1t is not known what attitude
the courts would take if Negro
parents filed lawsuits because
their children were- denied ad-
mission to white schools in the
fall. However. DR.. Corning has
contended that the May II
Supreme Court antisegregation
ruling, under which he has pro-
posed his indignation program,
is permissive rather than man.
datory and that his program
therefore is ahead of any action
the school system could be forced
to take.
Some board members besides
Mr.. Williams have indicated a
wish to speed up DR.. Corning's
program somewhat, however.
DR.. Corning, who Cancelled his
weekly press conference yester-
day, has so far refused to say
whether he himself might recon-
mend any speed-up.
Board members yesterday met
in committees. The indignation
question was not on the agenda.
and no action was taken.
Jury Duty at Issue.
Mr.. Williams also challenged
DR.. Corning on another matter
yesterday. This was the super
intendent'S consistent refusal to
allow teachers to accept jury
duty.
Mr.. Williams heads the Com
plants and Appeals Committee,
which has been considering a
charge by Mrs. Blanche p.
Southland. teacher at Emery
School, that Miss F. Lucille
Harris. Emery principal. had
! haraSSed her in Jury duty