Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-14

Oll IIlc OIubC dbtClLlpb W OlSullen
the new school segregation laws
passed by a recent special session
of the General Assembly.
Prince Edward, which is about
half white and half Negro, is
more under the gun on the
racial issue than any other Vir-
GINA community. 1t was one of
the original five involved in suits
before the Supreme Court, which
resulted in the DEGREES of 1854
and 1855 outlawing racial seq
regation in public schools.
The county, whose white cit
liens say they will close the
schools before mixing the races,
has done nothing in more than
a year and a half to comply
with the Supreme Courts order
to move toward desegregation
with all deliberate speed"
New Law Held Adequate
Attorney General J. Lindsay
Almond. jr.. and T. Justin
Moore, sr.. counsel for the Prince
Edward County School Board,
seek dismissal of the suit on the
ground a new pupil assignment
law provides adequate admins
trative remedies for Negroes.
The law is part of a four
page package program enacted
by a special session of the Gen.
eral Assembly, which adjourned
on September %. The avowed
purpose of the program was to
preserve segregation in the pub
lie schools.
Mr.. Moore told the court that
the package of bills sis consistent
and a logical approach to a very
grave problem that has been
facing the people of Virginia for
the last two and one-half years. =
Earlier, Mr.. Moore asked that
a three-judge court be recon-
vened because, he said, counsel
for the Negro parents and chill
dren in Prince Edward we're, in
effect. seeking an injunction and
also were challenging the consti-
nationality of the new State laws,
In either case. he commended,
ia three-judge court was neces-
Isary to rule on the questions.
Plaintiff Attorney Heard
Thurgood Marshall, of New
York, one of the attorneys for
the Negro plaintiffs, denied that
any further restraint is being
sought in the form of an injunc-
ton. He said he merely was
attempting to obtain relief by
the enlargement of an injunctive
order previously issued by the
court.
Only yesterday, Spottswood
w. Robinson. Ill, Of Richmond,
another attorney for the Ne
groes, filed an answer with the
court declaring that the new
plan to preserve public school
segregation is invalid on its
face"
The new pupil assignment law
does not become effective until
December 20. 1t places the re-
sponsibility for student assign
ments in the hands Of a three
member board, to be appointed
by the Governor. Appeals of as
signments can be taken to the
Governor and then through the
State courts.
Mr.. Almond and Mr.. Moore
contend the Negroes have not
awaited themselves Of the ap-
lpeals available to them under
the law.
Stress Overall Policy
Mr.. Robinson and Mr.. Mar
shall argue that the assignment
plan. even though it does not
mention race as a factor in
placing students in specific
scools, is only one phase Of the
overall State policy. admitted by
Gov. Stanley and legislators. &c
preserve racial segregation.
Other principal phases of the
program enacted by the Legis-
lature in September include the
withholding of State funds from
any primary or secondary schoo
system in a locality where in.
tegration occurs: automatic clos.
ing of individual schools where
the races are mixed. and estab-
~