Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-07-11


to supply him with the finger
prints of DIR. Elizabeth c. Will
son, director of the school sys-
TENS office of curriculum
development; Miss Susan E.
Osman, English teacher at
Northwood High School, and
Robert H. Willoughby, geogra-
ply teacher at Kensington Jun.
Tor High School.
The three teachers are plain
tiffs in a court action which
seeks to legally restrain the
School Board majority, headed
by Bell, to turn over teacher
fingerprint records to county
police.
The School Board president
said he thought personal exam
nation of the fingerprints
ssmight be the polite thing to
do" He added: my impression
was that any school board
member had the right to review
any record in the files"
Bell made his request for the
fingerprint files to school Off
ciaI who refused them pend
ing a formal ruling from the
School Board attorney, Charles
w. PrettymaI1.
The attorney ruled it was
"abundantly plain" Bell had no
such authority as an individual
board member. Bell then with
drew his request.
Highlights of the running
teacher fingerprint-police check
controversy this week included:
. Receipt of an order from
the Maryland State Board of
Education prohibiting the
School Board from turning over
to police any employe personnel
records, including fingerprint
cards.
. Postponement until Aug. 5
by Judge Walter H. Norman
of legal arguments in county
circuit court on the suit filed by
the three teachers. Norman
said he believed the suit makes
SERIOUS allegations" and raises
serious questions. Zone thing
the American public doesn't
like is having the police depart
ment breathing down its neck"
he observed.
During Tuesdays all-day
School Board meeting, Board
member Mrs. Ely Maurer con-
tended Bells independent ac-
tion' in demanding the finger
prints lis typical of the basic
problem that we have had in
the last six months on the
Board"
In handing down its unpre-
cedented order preventing the
transfer of fingerprint records
to county police, the State
School Board put into capital
letters and underlined the word
'sordered" in making its decree.
Previously, the state educa-
tors had suggested the county
School Board delay its action in
turning over the fingerprint
file but the county School Board
majority acting after receipt
Of an opinion from the State
attorney generals office that
there was no legal obstacle to
its doing so-voted to turn the
! files over Immediately"
In spelling out its order, the
State School Board emphasized
1t was acting under its legal au-
thority to establish education
policy in Maryland and, by i'm
plication, 1t did not believe the
move of the School Boards ma
jority was good policy.
In a rapid sequence Of events
last week, the School Board ma.
jority voted to transfer the rec
ords, the three teachers within
hours filed suit to prevent that
action, and the State Board the
same day handed down its
order.
Advised while he was on the
bench of the issuance of the
state order, Judge Norman
questioned whether the State
Board could legally decide a
matter which was currently be-
fore the court.
Attorneys David Cahoon and
PIummer M. Shearin, represent.
ing the three teachers and the
Montgomery County Education
Association composed of $500
county teachers, will be OPP
posed by School Board Attorney
prettyrnan and Attorney James
C.. Christopher in the Aug. S
legal arguments.