Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-11-19
Mugging Teachers

Asst of court county school teacher was accused
of homosexuaty and tried in court He is, of course
no longer teaching in Montgomery County and it is ex
tremey difficult to imagine how he could get teaching
job anywhere in the United States
Surely any school system where he applied for job
would insist on adequate references from the system where
he last taught And surely, Montgomery County would
refuse to give such teacher adequate references We
would indeed hope so!
Now apparently outraged and with their moral fiber
fairly quvering with Indignation the Montgomery County
grand jury along and recommends in all seriousness
according to the States Attorney that all teachers about
be hired should be mugged and ngerprnted and their
possible criminal records thoroughly checked before they
are fayoraby considered for employment Montgomery
County
Could the grand jury have made such recommended
ton solely because teacher out of $500 last and
almost 5000 this year found to be homosexual?
According to the States Attorney there another
factor Taken before this grand jury case in which
school anitor alleged to have had IN ms possession
narcotics needle.
Grand jurors were instructed by the judge to keep
secret all the and happenings in the grand jury
room. Hence the public and the press presumably will
not learn from any member of the grand jury what
based its sweeping recommendation.
But so far reporters could CLEAN from the States
Attorney the jury made the mugging and fngerprinting
recommendation the basis of the two cases-the homo
sexual teacher and the aegedly narcoticsnclned anor
And of the had before the preceding grand
jury-not this one
AS far as the janitor concerned he most certainly
should not be in public school he is narcotics addict
And perhaps in the of anitors and other eniaype
jobs sort of police check should be made for possible
criminal record But if they here from out of the
county check of the county records would show nothing
And it is difficult to believe about the janitors too that
they can with adequate references they dope
addcts criminals. And the school system,
sured insists that all employees well teach
ers-must produce adequate references.
But for the grand jury to urge that Federal be
made out of the simple hiring of teachers-999 out of
thousand of whom decent respectable God-fearing
citizens with much respect for law and order and the
thing all hold dear any member of the grand jury,
seems bit thn9 We would suggest to the grand jury
that there other areas Of activity in Montgomery Coun
ty where they might spend their invesgave time little
proftaby And advisor to the jury the States
Attorney too might exhibit sign that he has given
the matters he discusses with the jury serious consdera
ton after careful and calculated review of full information
relating to the subject rather than indugng in what APP
pears to be flight of fancy The power and the prestige
OF grand jury enormous that all of its actions
must Of necessity be highly responsible When it branches
off into where it does not have the benefit of all the
facts the grand jury not living up to its full respon
sibilties