Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-20


After "a years in the District
of Columbia school system, !
retired last year as a result OF
ill health directly attributable to
the conditions that developed in
Eastern High School after the
indignation of the District
schools.
During my tenure in the Dis
trict school system I served as
principal at Anacostia High
School and Eastern High School.
After indignation of the
schools in 1854, l called a meet
ing of the school faculty at
Eastern High School and en-
phatically told the teachers that
if they let down the bars on
discipline they would be dis
charged. In spite of the best
efforts put forth by the teachers,
however, the problem of dis
cipline was tremendous.
Instituted Corridor Patrols
I found it necessary to require
that all teachers leave their
desks when the bell rang and
keep order in the corridors.
At times. I heard colored girls
at the school use language that
was far worse than I have ever
heard, even in the Marine Corps,
White children manifested a
spirit of cooperation to help
the colored children become ac-
climated. but these efforts were
not particularly Successful.
Fighting, including several
knifings. went on continuously
While such incidents had &C.
Cured occasionally in previous
years, they became more or less
commonplace following integra-
ton. to the point of creating a
serious disciplinary problem.
There have been more theftS
at Eastern in the last two years
than I had known in all my 30
odd years in the school system
A teacher still active at Eastern
told me recently that stealing is
now so rife at the school that
it is no longer practical to at
tempt to report all stealing
incidents.
There were many sex problem:
during the year following int.
grafton. The first evidence o.
this came about when somC
colored boys began writing note:
to the white girls, telling then
their phone numbers and asking
the girls for their numbers ir
return.
Cites Incidents
I overheard two colored boy!
making obscene remarks about
a white girl who was passing ir
the hall. I promptly suspended
these boys until such time as
could get satisfactory assurances
from their parents that they
would discontinue such conduct
My authority to do this was
questioned by the administra'
ton, but / stuck to my guns.
i White girls complained o.
being touched by colored boys IL
a suggestive manner when pass.
ing them in the halls. One white
girl left school one afternoon anC
was surrounded by a group o
colored boys and girls. One O.
the colored boys put a knife a
her back, marched her down al
alley and backed her up agains
a wall.
While the group debated as t,
whether they should make he
take her clothes of, she brok
away and ran home. The girl
mother called me about the in
cident and I sent an experiences
counselor to investigate the at
fair. The counselor reportet
that he saw the hole where tn
knife penetrated the girls coat
We were never able to get tn
names of the students that wer
involved.
Boy Removed After Offense
On another occasionf a coloret
girl complained to me that
colored boy had exposed himsel
to her in the class room. l go
hold of the boy and found hin
to have a record of sex offense
and recommended that he b.
removed from Eastern. Thil
recommendation was accepted.
!. Never in all Of my experience
have I observed such filthy ant
, revolving habits in the lavatorie'
Some of the urinals were com