Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-24
Board Members Statement Hit
BY Principal at School Hearing

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Committee Counsel william Ger
Der, interrupted her testimony
to announce that she was "a
little bit concerned" over the
newspaper quotation Of the
school board member.
Il want to be awfully sure
there1l be no reprisal or retribu-
ton Of any kind on what I may
testify" she told Mr.. Gerber.
She went on to say that in
whatever she testified she in
tended to stick to the facts.
Representative Williams de-
clared that the only purpose Of
the investigation is to get facts.
Later, Representative Jones.
Democrat of North Carolina, an
other subcommittee member.
said that he resented the school
board members statement and
repeated Representative Will
liams' assurance that the COM
mittee would stand behind wit
nesses.
Various Problems Related
Miss Trip testified at some
length about various problems
which she said indignation had
caused at two Northeast Wash
ington schools.
The two formely white schools
now have majority of colored
students.
She said that there have been
disciplinary difficulties which
we're not experienced before in
tegration and she said she was
shocked" at the lag of many Of
the colored newcomers in their
school work, as compared with
the white students.
"The Negro children have not
measured up on standardized
tests and are not measuring up
in their classroom work." she
declared.
She said the colored children
have improved in their work
since their arrival. however. She
also said that most of the
teachers in her school, both coll
lored and white. are good.
| AS for the disciplinary prob
lens, she stated emphatically:
These are alN minor. There's
nothing there that isn't under
control"
She repeated this later.
Behavior Changes Noted
! Under questioning from Mr..
Gerber. she listed a number of
behavior matters which she said
were not customary before inte-
lgration.
She said window breakage in
the last two years exceeded that
of the previous II. She said
there had been a great deal Of
ljostling about, pushing and
Showing and running across the
lawns.
/ Each Of her two schools has
lbeen broken into once by pupils
attending them but without any
damage.
Miss Trip said there was one
perversion case involving two
lcolored boys, one a pupil at Lang
don and the other from Taft
Junior High School. the first
such case at her schools. She
said this case was handled
WE'LL" and that the parents had
sought the help Of a psychia-
trist.
Police Juvenile Squad assis-
lance was called when three COL
ored boys were accused Of saying
they were going to rape two little
white girls, Miss Trip reported.
One Of the colored boys was a
first grader, then 9 or 10 years
old, who was in a special class
for slow learners, she said.
Larger Attendance Blamed
But Miss Trip testified that
the schools disciplinary prob
lens have mainly been caused
by the large number of children
enrolled. She pointed out that
since indignation they have been
filled to the hilt" whereas be-
fore they had space to spare.
She also observed that white
children seemed to have been
used to more freedom, while col
ored children seemed to have
been more regimented before in
ltegration, and that this posed an
indignation problem.
One case was cited in which
some children picked up some
pornographic literature and
brought it in to school.
4 There was one instance, she
said, where she thought a small
Negro girl invited a white boy
into the lavatory during the noon
hour. A Negro boy interviewed
and reported the matter, she
said.
Miss Trip emphasized, how
ever, that many Of the colored
children came from "as sheltered
homes as I" and that their par
ents didn't want this kind Of
thing going on in the community
either.
Quizzed on Advantages
Asked what advantage integra-
Ition had been to white children,
lshe replied:
Il think possibly some Of these
white children are learning a
tolerance which. if / had had
lit. I'd have been able to adjust
to it easier"
She added. however. that she
felt in classrooms where there
were only four or five white
children it was putting them at
an extreme disadvantage.
They certainly are losing
something from the lower edu-
lcational level" she observed.
She told the committee, how
ever:
But We can work that out.
Miss Trip testified that she