Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-06-06
Order For Police Check
OF Teachers Criticized
Teachers,
.P-TA Heads
Hit Move

Decision Of the School
Board majority - holly op-
posed by the three minority
members-to require county
police checks on all school
personnel, including teachers,
touc h ID off bitter con-
troversy this week.
Reactions ranged from "in.
sulting, degrading and abusive"
from four former School Board
members defeated in the last
election to an indignant claim
from a school psychologist that
the action constituted "a ira
vesty on democratic processes"
Spokesman for the county's
5000 teachers and for the $4,000
member County P-TA Council
strongly criticized the move.
And DR.. Thomas G. Pullen,
state superintendent of schools,
told a Sentinel reporter by
phone: II seriously question the
legality Of this action" adding:
ITO my knowledge Montgom-
cry County Is the only county
In Maryland that sends finger
prints to the FBI, let alone to
the police. 1t Is important who
instigated this"
School Board President
Charles w. Bell told the SEN
tinel in answer to DIR. Pullen's
question II alone instigated and
pressed for the passing Of this
motion"
Question Of teacher finger
printing, however, has been q
lively issue in the county since
November, 1859, when the coun-
ty grand jury recommended
fingerprinting and a county
police check Of all school per-
sonnet.
States Attorney Leonard 7.
Hardy heartily Endorsed the
jury's recommendation at the
time, pointing out the procedure
would help avoid the inadverent
hiring Of sex pcrverts, narcotics
users and other "undeslrabIes"
having criminal records
When the School Board failed
to act on the question, Hardy in
February of 1860 demanded
prompt School Board action to
put the jurys recommendation
into effect. School heads subse-
quently instituted the procedure
of fingerprinting all school en-
ployes and sending their prints
to the Federal Bureau Of In
vestigation but refused to send
the prints to the county police
department.
Under the procedure adopted
last week by the new School
Board, the school personnel de-
partment will continue TO finger.
print all employees but the cards
will be sent to the police and
forwarded by them to the F'BI.
The FBI will return the cards
to the police who will then re-
turn the cards to the school sys-
tenn after extracting such infor-
nation as they wish.
Opponents Of the new plan
argue that under the old sys-
tenn, the FBI information was
kept highly confidential in
school files but they say police
records are much more access
ible.
I'VE have not yet come, In
this country, 10 the point mt
which innocent citizens shall be
subjected 10 police surveillance
without cause or due process or
law" declared leaders Of the
County P.TA Council who urged
the school board 10 reconsider
It's action.
Police files are mot confiden.
tial," P-TA spokesman said,
contending "they are open to
all those who have normal and
legitimate access to local police
files, including county and state
officials whose interest may be
political and partisan"
-Four former School Board
members-HarOld +. Brelmyer,
Paul G. Howard, Robert Il.
Morrow and william +. Thomas
HI-sald they found the require
ment Of county police checks
Insulting and degrading"
Contending the step Is
CONTINUED on Page AS)