St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-03-03
Fraction Case
Attracts Crowds
CONTINUED From Page ID


turning to Minneapolis she said she
went on to the Baptist national
meeting held in California.
She said: when 1 returned
to school and heard the gossip
going around about my trip, 1
didn't know what to do. Some
teachers told me the school clerk
had been calling around check
ing on me.
IT finally decided to sign the
absentee slip as attending to my
mothers illness (for which she
would receive pay under school
board policy"
Mrs. Fraction said she chang
ed her mind because of uncer-
tainty over what might happen
II she changed the announced
purpose Of her trip.
Carl Fraction, her husband testi-
fled that johnson came to the
Fraction home and urged Mrs.
Fraction to resign.
Fraction testified that johnson
said even if she won her case she
would be under pressure from
downtown school officials. Mean
ing the administration
JohnsOn's version was that he
only meant that because of the
inefficiency charge her teaching
methods would be under scrut-
my.
Frank Adams, school board
member who would not vote for
the motion to suspend Mrs. Frac-
ton at the Feb. IL school board
meeting told the hearing that
Sup't. of Schools Rufus Putnam
told him once, inefficiency charges
against Mrs. Fraction were film
sy."
Sigal continued to develop the
argument that Mrs. Fraction was
being discharged for doing tht
same thing many teachers do.
In the questioning he developed
that many teachers are excused
with pay each October to attend
educational meetings which many
do not attend.
He established in testimony Of
several witnesses including schoo
superintendent Putnam that II
October at the time of the conven
tons of the Minnesota Educationa
Assn, and the Minnesota Fedora,
ton of Teachers, that many teach,
ers, who do not attend the con.
vention, are paid for time off but
are not punished.
Charles Boyer, federation secre.
tary said Loren Cahlander, schoo
director of personnel in a CONVEX.
sation with him said: Before a
Negro teacher could be hired, shed
have to be tops"
There are about so Negro teach.
ers in the Minneapolis school sys.
tenn, most of whom were employed
before Mr.. Cahlander became per.
sonnet chief.
Cahlander did not completely
deny the statement attributed to
him by Boyer saying, lit doesn't
ring a bell with me-"
Testimony of Vernon Indehar,
Schiller principal that he had
discussed the California trip with
Mrs. Fraction was contradicted
by her. She said he had never
discussed the matter with her.
Indehar said he discussed the
matter with her casually"
The principal said he learned OF
the rumors of her trip from Mrs
Signora Johnson, a former Schiller
teacher.
Mrs. Johnson testified Monday
that she thought she might be
able to forestall her transfer to
another school by repeating to
Indehar the rumors about Mrs.
Fraction.
SigaI Questions Principals Decision
Mr.. Sigal in his closing argu-
ment stated it was beyond be-
lief" that Indehar would take no
action against Mrs. Fraction in
1859 and then suddenly over a
year later, decide to do so on the
basis Of an unsigned note he found
on his desk.
Sigal said he felt it would be
completely fair to limit any
punishment the school board gives
Mrs. Fraction to the suspension
she has been under since Feb. IA.
He urged that the teacher be
reinstated and transferred to an
other school.
Schiller Parents Rally To Teacher
A petition signed by SO Schiller
school district parents most OF
whom had children taught by Mrs
Fraction was admitted into ev.
ldence over school board attorney
Nathaniel Johnson's protest.
The petition supported Mrs.
Fraction as a qualified teacher
and urged school officials Ito
consider transfer or some more
equitable correction Of the situa-
ton"
School board attorney johnson
said that II the board does not
sustain the charges against Mrs.
Fraction and dismiss her, they