Discipline Urged For Teacher

Official uíensure and formal disciplinary action have been recommended in the case of Ann Arbor Pubic School teacher Rebecca Vanderhorst by the hearing officer T. C. Crane, director of employé relations for the Ann Arbor Public Schools. The action was the conclusión of a fact-finding report submitted to School I Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. by Crane. Judge John Feikens of the United States District Court agreed that Crane was I the proper person to serve as officer for I a review of complaints filed against I Miss Vanderhorst. Crane's report recommended that offiI cial action be taken by the superintendent. A statement released by the schools' I administration said "af ter a complete review of the incidents at Forsythe Junior High on Feb. 3, resulting in the immediate suspension of Miss Vanderhorst and following a long series of delays and postponements in the hearing procedure prompted by her and her legal counsel, Crane recommended formal and official censure and reprimand of Miss Vanderhorst on April 6 because it was determined that she was the direct cause of student-teacher misunderstanding and unrest." The administration's statement quoted Crane as saying: "I find that Miss Vanderhorst did willfully and maliciously engage in such conduct as to seriously undermine confidence in her professional competency and stability ... and that Miss Vanderhorst's conduct was of such an unprofessional nature that it stands clearly as violative of reasonable concepts of professional ethical behavior." His findings also stated, "That nothing in the record warrants any implication that Miss Vanderhorst's behavior is in any way justified by any educational needs of the students to whom she was professionally responsible." Crane also recommended that, if Miss Vanderhorst so desires, she be entitled to petition for reconsideration "after the f act" for purposes of modifying the recommended action, or appending the reprimand with whatever statement she may wish to make or of seeking mitigation. On April 7, the Ann Arbor Board of Education approved a recommendation from the superintendent that Miss Vanderhorst not be issued a contract and be denied tenure for reasons of unsatisfactory performance, the statement said. Supt. Westerman said he had not received from Miss Vanderhorst or her attorney any evidence to contradict the recommendation of the hearing officer. He expects to issue a statement next week concerning Miss Vanderhorst's status for the remainder of the year. In an earlier statement, Miss Vanderhorst said, "I am a political target of the Ann Arbor Public School system because I have been outspoken since my first year of teaching about all facets of the educational system that appeared injurious to students. "Presently in spite of my suspension, I am the Arm Arbor 'Education Association's spokesman in the Michigan Education Association (a Committee for Students Civil Rights). "Never have I encouraged students to demand nor have I demanded any unreasonable c h a n g e for students. Specifically, in my two years in the Ann Arbor Public schools system ... I have aroused administrative and faculty ire by possibly having done any or all of the following: "I criticized the lack of an organized unit on French speaking African or dark - skinned peoples in the French curriculum. I organized a petition drive for the BAM strike among Ann Arbor teachers, many of whom were sympathetic alumni. This evoked a dictum from School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. critical of the action. Black teachers , then issued a written response against f' his dictum led by me. "I told it 'like it is' as a representative on the so - called Human Relations Committee in the system in 1969-70.. I spoke up for recruitment of more Black teachers and especially a personnel director in the spring "Brain-storming" sessions with the school administration. "I was denied consideration for a French teaching position at Tappan Junior High for the 1970-71 school year because the principal had said that he had learned that I was a 'trouble-maker.' " "During the summer of 1970 while I was studying in Paris, the newly appointed personnel director James Buntin attempted to discourage my return to the school system by letterwriting maneuvers. "I led the Black Educators picketing of the Administration Building on Oct. 12 after the Pioneer High incident and formulated its position statement. "I exposed to the news media the I plans of the racist principal of Forsythe I Junior High to dock a day's pay of each I black teacher who had participated in I the demonstration of Oct. 12. "I have often spoken up publicly at I Board of Education meetings on behalf I of black students, especially after the I Pioneer High incident. One such I ter resülted in both Cecil Warner I trustee, and Dr. Robert Potts, I trator, raising their voices in anger at I me. "I have worked with black Forsythe I teachers in intensive organizational I attempts to build the morale of black I students at Forsythe, the details of I which are too lengthy to relate here. "I have dared to allow my students to I discuss such controversial topics as the I Black Panthers versus the pólice (see I Ann Arbor News Jan. 3, 1971). "In short, I am an 'uppity-nigger' who I beheves in the dignity and esteem of the I Black race." I Miss Vanderhorst and her attorney I could not be reached for comment this I morning. I