A. C. (Pete)
Latimer, president of the Atlanta Board of Education, made the
following statement following the board's adoption of a desegregation
plan for city's schools:
The Board of Education assumed office Jan. 1, 1958, and immediately became a defendant of a suit filed in the federal courts. This suit has been defended by the city attorney assisted by the most experienced outside counsel available.
From the first
the board has unanimously agreed to a course of action which would
provided the strongest. possible legal defense while at the same
time doing everything possible to maintain a calm atmosphere where
our staff could work and the children of Atlanta could continue
their education.
PROPER ATMOSPHERE
In order to maintain the proper educational atmosphere each member
of the board has willingly refrained from making individual or
collective statements which might on the one hand jeopardize the
efforts of our counsel or on the other hand might tend to alarm
and excite to precipitate action citizens with deeprooted but
contrasting convictions on this great issue.
In July of this year the judge of the United States District Court
of the Northern District of Georgia issued an order directed to
the members of this board as follows:
"That the defendants and each of them, their agents, employees, successors in office, and all persons in active concert and participation with them be and they hereby are enjoined from enforcing and pursuing the policy, practice, custom, and usage of requiring or permitting racial segregation in the operation of the public schools of the City of Atlanta, and from engaging in any and all action which limits or affects admission to attendance in, or education of, infant plaintiffs, or any other Negro children similarly situated, in schools under defendants jurisdiction on the basis of race or color," and which order further provided that defendants "are herewith directed to present to this court, on or before the first day of December1959 a complete plan, adopted by them, which is designed to bring about compliance with the order, and which shall provide for a prompt and reasonable start toward desegregation of the public schools of the City of Atlanta and a systematic and effective method for achieving such desegregation with all deliberate speed. Such plan may be submitted contingent upon the enactment of statutes permitting such plan to be put into operation."
BOARD'S APPEAL
The board's attorneys have appealed from the foregoing order,
which appeal has not been heard. In addition to the appeal, the
board's attorneys asked for supersedeas staying such order. The
supersedeas has been denied.
In compliance with the order of the federal court we have today
in good faith adopted a plan and are instructing our attorneys
to file it with the federal court and as suggested by the order
of the federal court the attorneys will transmit the plan to the
General Assembly of Georgia.
We do not suggest Assembly of Georgia the approach it should take
to the problems confronting education in the State of Georgia
as we realize that this sovereign body is aware of the situation
faced by this board as defendants in the federal court. We assume
that the General Assembly is aware that this board finds itself
in a situation in which it is virtually without solution on the
local level, due to the great conflicts of law between the state
and federal governments."
MUST BE RESOLVED
We do suggest, however, this great conflict can and must be resolved,
and we pledge our efforts and energies in cooperation with the
General Assembly to any degree to help resolve the matter in an
orderly, peaceful fashion.
Recognizing the great responsibilities inherent in the office to we have been elected we wish to assure our more than five thousand employees and the people of Atlanta that we will continue to devote our time and energies toward the uninterrupted operation of the Atlanta school system.
source: Atlanta Journal, December 1, 1959