Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-19
State RULING
Bans Mixing
OF Audiences
By SAM EASTMAN


a State ruling that audiences at
these sessions must be segre-
gated by race.
This opinion, which again
places the County School Board
in the racial spotlight. came from
Attorney General j. Lindsay AL
fmond, jr.
Arlington commemorative At
torney William J. Hassan had
requested the ruling after the
legality of permitting integrated
audiences at these meetings was
challenged by the pro-segrega-
ton Defenders organization.
Debates by the two county
board candidates are being held
! in public school buildings. Be-
cause of this, Mr.. Almond said.
it is the duty" of the school
board, in granting permission for
such meetings, to require" that
the audience be seated according
to race.
Fixes Responsibility
In a letter to Mr.. Hassan,
Virginia's top legal officer de-
clared:
1.-THE responsibility for the
designation (by race of such
space or seats is upon the school
board that has control of the
building in which the meeting is
to take place. In the event any
such public assemblage is held in
a building by permission Of o
private owner, the same respon-
Isibility rests upon such owner"
Mr.. Almond went on to say
that individuals who refuse to
take the space assigned for mem
lbers of their race" are also SUBJ
ject to arrest under State law.
After learning of the attor-
'Iney generals ruling, Mrs. Peter
Henle. chairman of the sponsor
ing organization-the Arlington
Committee for Candidates Meet
IingS-said a conference of the
Executive board will be held at
.j3 pm. Sunday at her home,
! 1924 North Twenty-third street,
Arlington.
3 Meetings Held
To date, three out Of i've seized.
uled meetings for County Board
Candidates Curtis E. Tuthill and
DR.. L. H. Blevins have been held.
At the first meeting members
of the Defenders picketed be-
cause the local chapter Of the
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
is among the cosponsoring
groups. The meeting drew an
all-white audience.
A few Negroes attended the
last two sessions, which were
not picketed. The next can
didates' meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday night at the Glen
carlyn Elementary School and
the final campaign debate on
November l at Thomas Jeffer-
son Junior High.
Legality Questioned
The legality of integrated
audiences was questioned by the
local Defenders chapter in tele-
grams to appropriate State and
county officials. In response the
Arlington commonwealth at
Itorney said he did not believe
that racial segregation was re-
CURED under State law at these
meetings.
/ Mr.. Hassan said at the time
that he felt that the question
hinged upon whether or not the
phrase public assemblage" APP
plies to this type of meeting"
I He added that his opinion was
based on recent Arlington school
segregation cases along with an
opinion handed down in 1851
by a three-judge court OF Vir-
ginia's eastern district on an
NAACP-Richmond case.
Asks for Ruling
Mr. Hassan. after expressing
this opinion. then wrote to the
attorney general to ask for Mr..
Almonds ruling on the matter.
AS to the forthcoming strategy
conference, Mrs Henle said the
Executive board is made UP Of
representatives from seven OF
foundations. They are the Arling-
ton Independent Movement, Ar
Ilingtonians for a Better County,
the Democratic and Republican
organizations, the League Of
Women Voters. County Council
of Parent-Teacher Associations
and the Civic Federation.
Jack Rathbone, spokesman
for the Defenders, said the
groups legal committee will look
into the possibility Of bringing
court action against local school
lofficials for the two integrated
meetings already held.
Another Complaint
Another kind Of complaint
meanwhile was lodged with Mrs.
Henle about the way the candi-
dates meetings are conducted.
w. w. Blackman. chairman
Iof DR.. BlevinS' campaign COM
mittee. wrote Mrs. Henle that
many AIM supporters have
expressed the opinion that the
moderator Of the Joint candi-
dates Meetings gives preference
10 questions from the floor asked
by ABC supporters" DR.. Blevins
is the AIM candidate, ana
Mr.. Tuthill is the ABc nominee.
Mr.. Blackman suggested that
the moderators ask each ques-
tioner which side they are on.
and recognize ABc and AIM
questioners alternately with time
reserved for questions from
those who have not made up
] their minds.