Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-11
Stanley Urges
Early Meeting
Of Gray Group

RICHMOND, May II Dr.
Filing of a fourth desegregation
suit and a call by the Governor
for an early meeting of the Gray
Commissions Executive Com
mittee highlight the latest de-
velopments in Virginia's school
segregation controversy.
Attorneys for the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People yesterday filed
a suit in Federal District Court
at Norfolk seeking a prompt end
to segregation in that city's
schools in accordance with the
Supreme Courts desegregation
decisions.
The petition. filed in behalf Of
So Negro adults and school chill
dren. asks Federal Judge Walter
w. Hoffman for a speedy hear
ing" and a temporary or perma-
nent injunction forbidding con-
tinued segregation.
The suit was virtually identical
to those filed earlier against the
Charlottesville School Board n
Federal Court at Harrisonburg
and the Newport News School
Board in Norfolk Federal Court.
Four Suits Pending
Four indignation wSuits
against Virginia localities are now
pending. A motion for prompt
enforcement of the Supreme
Courts ruling in the Prince Ed
ward County case is awaiting a
hearing before a three-judge
Federal District Court in Rich
mond on July 8.
The NAACP has indicated the
Arlington County School Board
will be the target of a fifth suit,
probably next week.
Gov. Stanley yesterday asked
the chairman of his Commission
on Public Education, State Sem
ator Garland Gray of Waverly.
to convene the groups 11-man
executive committee "in the near
future"
The Gray Commission last
year worked up a package pro-
gram aimed at avoiding COM
pulsory Indignation in Virginia's
public schools. However, its rec
concentrations, which include
assignment of pupils to schools
for reasons other than race and
State tuition grants for educa-
ton at private, nonsectarian
schools, have not been acted on.
Gov. Stanley said the purpose
of the Executive Committee
meeting would be to consider
any new proposals. or other in
formation which has become
available since the commissions
report last November.
May Call Extra Session
Gov. Stanley called for DELHI
erationS that may determine
whether a special session of the
Legislature will be called in the
near future to act on the Gray
program or other proposed leg
islation.
The State administration has,
of late, followed wait and see"
policy. The Governor has in
sisted he was keeping an eye on
school segregation developments
before deciding whether or when
to call a legislative session.
Mr.. Gray said last night he
telt sure" one of the proposals
the executive committee would
discuss would be the recently
revived idea of withdrawing the
States consent for local school
boards to be sued on segrega-
ton questions.
He said no date has yet been
set for the executive COMMITTEES
meeting.
Gov. Stanley'S call for the ex.
ecutive committee meeting fol.
lowed what he termed IAN in.
formative conference with rep-
resentatives of the Charlottes-
vile School Board. He said no
specific request for State assist
ance in the suit was made, since
members of the board and the
city's school superintendent have
not been officially served in the
court action.
He said the group made no
formal recommendation" as to
a special session but personal
opinions expressed indicated
theRO was some feeling such a
session might be desirable"
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