Evening star., 1954-11-16
Citizens Federation
Asks Easenlenf in
School Attendance

The Supreme Court today had
q request from the Federation
Of Citizens Associations to per-
NIT District public school pupils
to avoid attending q school where.
they are In an unreasonable"
racial minority.
Attorneys for the civic organ
ization submitted a brief to the
court yesterday asserting that
present rules requiring pupils to-
enroll In schools regardless Of
race are harming both Negro and
white children.
The all white federation,
which recently unsuccessfully
sought d lower court injunction
to halt integration, is not a party
to the school segregation case
now before the high tribunal.
The organization asked per-
mission to file q brief as a friend
Of the court. however. Edward
G. Colladay, the federation's
chief attorney. said legal officers
Of the District had consented to
this move. He added, however,
that attorneys for the groups
attacking segregation here had
refused consent.
Consideration Still in Air.
It is normal procedure for
such consent to be sought by
parties wanting to intervene In
court cases.
It Is not known whether the
high court will agree to consider
the federation,s views.
The federation attorneys, in
explaining the organizations de-
sire to intervene, declared that
the federation does not oppose
desegregation. But, they added,
that the civic body feels that the
present integration program "in-
wolves unnecessary speed Of ac-
ton and many hardshipS upon
the school children, in violation
Of their rights as citizens"
The attorneys declared that
the federation wishes the court
to assure that mo child of either
color will be compelled, under
penalty, to attend any specified
school where the students of his
own color constitute a dispropor-
tionate small minority"
"The policy, which the school
authorities now consider to have
the force of law. prohibits a
child, regardless Of the wishes
Of its parents, to attend any.
school other than one located
within the certain artificial
boundary wherein the chad re-
Sides" the federation's brief as
serted.
Unreasonable MinOrities" Cited.
In boundaries where there
are few colored parents and. the
balance Of the population Is
white, the children of the colored
parents are forced to become an
unreasonable minority in the
school which they must attend
In compliance with the policy.
"On the other hand, in COM
Ynunities where only q relatively
few white families reside, the
balance of the population being
colored. the children of the white
parents are forced to attend
school where they will be in y
damaging, discouraging, and in
furious minority. li
I'VE see no justifiable reason
why such inequities and unfair
ness should be visited upon the
children Of either race: and the
harm to such minority children.
of. either race will be prevented
by affording the parents a fair
and reasonable privilege and
latitude of selecting a school
which will be conducive to their
best development in the light Of
their very deepest sentiments.
Parents Rights Advanced.
The brief added:
"We submit that the decree
Of the court should expressly
notice the substantial rights Of
parents. to such extent as may
be practicable and reasonable
and not against the public in
terest, to select a public school
where their children shall at
tend. this to the end that the
children will not be forced, under
penalty. to attend a school where
they are in an unreasonable and
disproportionate minority, or
where because Of psychological
factors their children will be
unnecessarily harmed in their
educational pursuits.
And We further submit that