Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-18
Fairfax Supervisors
AssaiI School Board
Demand Facts
On Faults in
Construction
BY WALTER wURFEL
Star Staff Writer


Star staff Writer
The Fairfax Board Of Cour1-
ty Supervisors severely criti-
cized school officials early to-
day for the way they handled
charges of sub-standard con-
struction in the countys
schools.
To discuss the matter fur
ther, the supervisors requested
that the School Board meet
with them next Monday in an
informal" session closed to
the public. The supervisors also
requested that School Super
intendent Earl c. Funderburk
and his assistant for construc-
ton, James Woodbridge, be
present to answer questions.
15-hOur MectAnS
Supervisor Robert c. Gotten
opened the attack at l am.
near the end of a 15-hour
meeting.
He angrily criticized the
School Board and administers
tors for dragging their feet"
in answering the charges made
ten months ago by Thomas G.
Dodd, former director of con-
struction.
Referring to a statement
made public Tuesday by Mr..
Woodbridge, who was MIR.
Dodd's supervisor, he said:
woodbridge now comes up
with the sorry excuse that they
knew three months ago that
the allegations were true, but
that they were all corrected.
"The school board has the
audacity to allow this board
! to become mired down in what
it thought was a bona fide
investigation.
Demands Full Story
1.-THE board should do moth
ing less than demand a full
explanation from Funderburk
and Woodbridge, who have
played a game Of hide and
seek with this board.
I'VE have to get Funderburk
and Woodbridge in a position
where they cannot plead execu-
tive privilege again, where We
can get the answers we seek OF
take such other steps as may
be necessary" The superin-
tendent invoked executive priv
ilege before a hearing last June
of the County Civil Service
i Commission, where Mr.. Dodd
aired the charges.
Supervisor A. Claiborn Leigh
agreed that "Funderburk and
Woodbridge must be present
and subject to the boards
Examination" He requested
that either a tape recorder or
a court reporter be used to take
down the proceedings.
Misled on Building
Board Chairman William
Moss criticized school officials
| for leading us to believe that
there was nothing wrong" until
| it became evident that an, en-
cheering survey was going to
be made.
Vice Chairman Anne Wilkins
added that she was not salts
fled with Mr.. Wooldridge's
statement in which the irregu-
larities were said to have been
corrected"
Adelard Brault said I'VE have
a perfect right to demand OF
the school board that they meet
with U.S." but he urged modera-
ton in the supervisors remarks.
However, Mr.. Brault added,
"the school administration Of
Ificials have allowed a noun
tain to be made out Of a mole
hill" If the charges were
answered at the time they were
made, he said. there would have
been no problem.
Met September Is
The supervisors met jointly
with the School Board once be-
fore, September IS, after the
supervisors became concerned
with the delay in answering
Mr.. Dodd's charges.
An engineering consultant
was hired to look into Mr..
Dodd's specific allegation that
cement floors at two school
gymnasiums were only half as
thick in some places as the
plans called for. The engineer,
Alan B. Mills, jr., was also
directed to check the thickness
of asphalt paving on several
school parking lots. Mr.. Dodd
had said these, too, were below
par.
Mr.. Mills reported to the
School Board this week that
Mr.. Dodd's charges were cor
rect. He is now advising q
citizens committee formed by
the School Board to look into
the overall school construc-
| ton problem.