Corpun file 16676

Time, New York, 10 February 1958

Education

The Firm One

When eleven-year-old Roscoe McGeorge refused to stop playing with cards in the back row of a fourth-grade penmanship class in Cincinnati's Washington Elementary School, Teacher Gayle Graner decided to take appropriate action. She told him to turn over and gave him a paddling.

Roscoe's outraged mother had her arrested for assault and battery, but 22-year-old Teacher Graner, though less than a year out of the University of Cincinnati's Teachers College, is not one to be easily intimidated. "Yes. I paddled him," she told reporters. "I have firm ideas on discipline."

Cincinnati apparently approves such firmness. Washington's principal rushed to Teacher Graner's support. William F. Hopkins, a topflight Cincinnati criminal lawyer, offered to defend her without fee ("More paddlings like that would help to keep down our prison population"), and 40 members of the Cuvier Press Club sent her an orchid corsage with a note saying, "We salute you!" Finally, the day before her case came up in court. Teacher Graner got the biggest boost of all. Her entire class, Roscoe included, chipped in nickels and dimes to throw a "good luck" party to wish her well. Snorted Judge Frank Gusweiler, who dismissed the case last week: "It's unfortunate that a member of the teaching profession is subjected to this prosecution. This young lady should have some satisfaction in knowing her position in this matter has been approved in the community."

Nonetheless, Roscoe's parents decided to slap Teacher Graner with a $2,500 suit to recover damages for Roscoe's bruised bottom.

Copyright © 2005 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Corpun file 16572

Time, New York, 3 March 1958

Letters

Spare the Rod?

Sir:

I am not applauding Teacher Gayle Graner [who paddled a card-playing fourth-grader, TIME, Feb. 10], Was it not a school system that insisted on the strictest possible discipline which mass-produced Hitler's hoodlums not so long ago?

DOROTHY BLONDER Hollywood

Sir:

Cheers to Schoolmarm Gayle Graner. Too bad she can't use the same tactics on Roscoe's parents for the audacity of their $2,500 suit.

BARBARA G. COLONEY Charlottesville, Va.

Sir:

In these progressive times, there is another course open to Teacher Graner: she can play poker with eleven-year-old, fourth-grade Roscoe, and see just who beats up whom.

NANCY GLIDDEN THOMSON, M.D. San Francisco

Sir:

When a child in Switzerland would come home crying to mother that the teacher had given him or her a paddling, the chances are nine out of ten that mama would follow up with more of same. I suggest Miss Graner work over Roscoe some more.

FRANK H. STUCKERT Los Angeles

Sir:

I want to thank you for the fine article about me. I appreciated it very much and have had many gratifying letters from many of your readers.

GAYLE GRANER Park Hills, Ky.