TEACHER'S DISMISSAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1367, 19 February 1912, Page 5

TEACHER'S DISMISSAL.

AN APPEAL

REMARKABLE ALLEGATIONS,

Oi lelcicraih.—Preei Ass«cuitia».l Palmerston N,, February 17. Tho hearing of the .appeal of 'J'homatf Stagpoolc, headmaster of the Linton School, against his dismissal by the Wanganui Education Board was continued on Saturday before Mr. Kerr, S.M., and Messrs. It. M'Nab, and E. L. Broad. Mr. R. D. Stewart appeared for ap' pellant, and Mr. I'. Piraui for tho Wanganui Education Board. Tho case had been opened nt Wanganui the previous week.

The whole of Saturday was taken up with hearing the evidence of the appellant, who claimed that, when he took ovcr the school, tho discipline was very

bad and many of Hie children were in ill-health owing to the school building being insanitary and in bad repair, He was given notice of dismissal after having been at the school six months. 'Witness made some remarkable allegations against Inspector Stewart, stating that lie had visited the school and had assaulted, during tho three days he was there, eighteen out of the 22 children in Mr. Stag|K>olc's charge. He had, it was alleged, placed chalk in their mouths, picked them up from their seats by their hair, drugged them nbout, and made faces at them. Further he had .advised Mr. Stagpoolc to Hog them every day-. It was also alleged that he had grossly insulted Mrs. Stagpoolc at lunch in her honso by throwing a fork at her. In cross-examination by Mr. I'irani it was revealed that the charges against Inspector Stewart had been forwarded la the Minister for Education, and Mr. Pirani endeavoured to show that they wer* not formulated until after Mr. Stagpook had received information that complaints had been lodged against him as teacher. Mr. l'irniii maintained that Mr. Stagpoolc had been under a delusion that Inspector Stewart had visited tho school with the object of injuring him and that, when he found complaints had liten lodged against him, he had trumped up the charges to shield himself. Cross-examination was not completed when the Court rose for the day.

It is expected that the hearing of tho ease will take nearly the whole of next week.