Legal Defense Fund Wins Reinstatement for Negro Teachers
Press Release
June 8, 1966

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Press Releases, Volume 4. Legal Defense Fund Wins Reinstatement for Negro Teachers, 1966. 33760309-b792-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/12ff949e-e8a7-4187-8b3a-3921ccbd9400/legal-defense-fund-wins-reinstatement-for-negro-teachers. Accessed June 01, 2025.
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10 Columbus Cirele New York, N.Y. 10019 JUdson 68397 NAACP ete Td Legal Defense and Educational Fund PRESS RELEASE President , on. Francis E, Rivers ete. 8 LEGAL DEFENSE FUND VFINS, REINSTATEMENT.” <4 FCR NEGRO TEACHERS ea RICHMOND----The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the reinstatement of 16 Negro teachers who lost their jobs last year when the Hendersonville, N.C., school system was desegregated. The court, acting on an appeal taken by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, reversed a Federal District Court decision. The Fund acted in behalf of the teachers and the North Carolina Teachers Association. The District Court had dismissed the case on grounds that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the teachers were dismissed for racial reasons. However, the appellate court found that the dismissed teachers had been forced to compete for a chance to retain their jobs, while white teachers were routinely reemployed. Eight Negro teachers who had been employed before the schools were desegregated kept their jobs. The court ruled that the criteria used by the school superintendent to determine which teachers were to be retained was ".,,too subjective to withstand scrutiny in the face of the long history of racial discrimination in the community..." The appellate court ordered the District Court to reassume jurisdiction in the case and to supervise the school board in setting up objective standards for employment of teachers. The standards must be applied to all teachers alike, the court said. “All of the plaintiffs who desire to teach in the Hen- dersonville school system and who can me en minimum standards of the Board are entitled to...reempl& “forthe. 1966-1967 school year..." the court said. . Legal Defense Fund lawyers involve Director-Counsel. Jack Greenberg and Melvyn i New, York;-% J. Levonne Chambers of Charlotte; Conrad 0,\Péarson of ,Durhan - sand Ruben.J. Dailey‘and ‘Robert L, Harrell of Asheville.’ ? ("4 eWease. were =30- Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 Ss