School Board Revises Policy Statement On Hiring

The Board of Education voted 5-2 last night to revise a policy which states that "special efforts" will be made to hire more Negro teachers and more male teachers, the latter at the elementary level. The revisión, made upon the advice of Roscoe O. Bonisteel Jr., the board's legal counsel, makes explicit that preferential treatment can not be given in the actual hiring of Negro and men teachers. It is unclear, however, er the alternation will affect current recruiting practices of the school district. Trustee William C. Godfrey, who introduced the motion to revise board policy, apparently believes no special e f f o r t s should be made to either recruit or hire Negroes or males. Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr., however, raised the question of what "special" effort is. He said today he does not think the policy change will alter current recruiting practices. The gist of the dilemma is that the school board wishes to comply with the law in the area of hiring and recruiting, but that interpretations of what the law permits in these areas vary widely. The motion to revise board policy was prompted by Godfrey's charge two weeks ago that staff recruiting and hiring based on race or sex is "illegal" and "discriminatory." Godfrey was referring to a policy formulated by the board about three years ago which savs "special efforts" will be made to recruit more Negro . and male teachers in order to "enlarge the pool" of applicants for job openings. Godfrey contends that such recruitment and subsequent hiring violates the State Fair Employment Practices Act. A legal opinión supplied by Bonisteel seems to agree that the "special efforts" policy is "inconsistent" with the above statute and should be changed. At least three different interpretations of what the law permits in the hiring and ing area were aired last night, however, adding to the confusión. Godfrey feels that Negroes or males can neither be specially recruited nor hired. Trustee Joseph R. Julin contends that no preferential treatment can be given when hiring a candidate, but that special efforts can be made to recruit Negroes and males to enlarge the pool. School Board President Hazen J. Schumacher Jr., on the other hand, stated that the "spirit" of the law allows both preferential recruiting and hirLng. This insures that Negroes, especially, have an equal opportunity íor employment, he said. "I feel we should make a special effort to recruit men at the elementary level and Negro teachers,'' the president declared. "I think this is a good policy which is in accord with the national efforts of this country and the objectives of our school system." Schumacher added that he doubted preferential treatment to Negroes in hiring practices could be proven illegal in a court of law. Trustee Francés Felbeck defended the past practices of the school district, saying, "I do not believe we have been recruiting Negroes preferentially." Schumacher and Mrs. Felbeck voted against changing the board policy. Two trustees were absent and did not vote. Godfrey declared that the hiring and recruiting laws as they now stand should be upheld, and that these laws are now being "broken on a wholesale basis" in the name of civil rights. He said the law should be changed if the majority of people feel that preferential hiring treatment should be given. Westerman asked the board f o r further guidelines in recruiting practices, and said he would review any proposals for recruitment which may be in conflict with the new policy before they are implemented.