The Michigan Daily
Vol. LXXXVII, No. 54-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Friday, July 29, 1977 Ten Cents Twelve Pages
Lawyer explains school board suit
By GREGG KRUPA
Four families and their attorney gath-
ered outside of the Glacier-Way Metho-
dist Church yesterday morning, to discuss
their reasons for filing a law suit against
the Ann Arbor School Board.
The suit filed in Federal District Court
in Detroit, charges a "grossly dispro-
portionate number" of low-income chil-
dren have been labelled as emotionally
impaired or having learning disabled
without careful unbiased evaluation, tak-
ing into account "cultural difference be-
tween them and economically advantaged
children at King."
"THIS IS NOT a desegregation suit,"
explained attorney Gabe Kaimowitz. "In- -
stead of asking for desegregation we are
presenting the Board with the oppor-
tunity to educate these children, either
they can educate poor children or they
cannot."
Raimowitz said the children, who re-
side in the Green Road public housing
complex a r e disadvantaged because
"from birth onward they do not have
the educational materials, the books, the
magazines, the newspapers, or the trips,
that the other upper-middle class stu-
dents at King have. I want the children
to learn. The material has got to be
there, it should be supplied to theta."
It is the position 'of the families and
Kaimowitz that the school is ignoring
the low-income "pocket-of-poverty" stu-
dents by tracking them into a "psycho-
logically incapable of learning" cate-
gory, without checking for economic,
cultural and social factors which may
inhibit learning.
"YOU TEACH a child differently when
you assume that he is incapable of being
taught how to read," said Kaimowitz.
"In this way the children are becoming
functionally illiterate."
Several schools in the Ann Arbor area
qualify for special federal aid that makes
up fol discrepancies in economic back-
ground among school children. But King
school does not qualify for the federal
program because of the low proportion
of low-income students attending the
school.
Ruth Zweifler of the Student Advocacy
Center, a group set up to protect the
rights of students attending Ann Arbor
Schools, said about 33 per cent of black
students in the system are placed in the
special education section.
"Then later at the secondary level we
are finding that the same number of
black students are subject to suspen-
sions," said Zweifler. "Clearly we are
carrying this process throughout the en-
tire educational pattern."
KAIMOWITZ SAID if the court decides
in the plaintiffs favor, the case could
have as much impact on a national level
as Brown vs. the Board of Education of
Tepeka, Kansas. It was in the landmark
civil rights case that the Supreme Court
ordered all schools in the nation deseg-
regated "with all deliberate' speed."
See LAWYER, Page 6
U.S., Britain,
Soviets, plan
test ban talks
WASHINGTON (IPi-President
Carter announced yesterday the
United States, Britain and the
Soviet Union will begin pre-
liminary talks on Oct. 3 aimed
at completely barning all of
their nuclear testing.
"It is my hope," he said,
"that sufficient basis for agree-
ment can be reached that all
o her nations of the world will
join us in the ultimate prohibi-
tion against testing of nuclear
devices."
MORE THAN 100 countries,
inliding the U.S., Soviet Union
and Britain, a l r e a d y have
agreed not to explode any nu-
clear device above ground;, un-
derwater or in outer space. The
only nation currently exploding
nuclear weapons in the atmos-
phere is the People's Republic
of China.
Treaties also have been reach-
ed between the U.S. and the
Soviet Union limiting the ex-
plosive power ofmunderground
atomic tests and banning under-
ground tests except for peaceful
purposes. However,. the Senate
has not yet ratified these agree-
ments and they are not officially
in effect.
There is no ban or pending
ban on underground testing for
peaceful purposes. Both the U.S.
and USSR have explode numer-
ours underground bombs in re-
cent years.
QUESTIONS ABOUT Middle,
East peace prospects dominated
the ?4-minute news conference,
However, Carter had this to say
on other topics:
1 "Accurate criticisms" of
his domestic policies by blacks
.and rxher ar. fne n..u"""""
" The nation's projected an
nual trade deficit of $25 billion,
a cause for concern in some
quarters, is due wholly to oil
imports and, in Carter's view,
underscores the need for a na-
tional energy conservation pro-
gram.
* H a v i n g interviewed six
candidates to succeed Clarence
Kelley a sdirector of the Fed-
eral Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), the President said he
feels no pressure to act quickly
and "we reserve the right to
interview more in the future if
we like."
* Carter favors new congres-
sional charters to spell out the
responsibilities of the FBI and
the Central Intelligence Agency.
* During his first six months
in office, he has "learned how
to work much more harmonious-
ly with the Congress" and has
gained respect for the diligence
and expertise of its members.
* Carter acknowledged mak-
ing "minor mistakes" during
See CARTER, Page 6
lit's a kid's life!
Mary Tock, 10, of Racine, iWs., isn't just getting zipper around the block or even exercising her
dog, Molly McGee. She's intently interested in alternative modes of transportation to avert an-
other oil crisis. This simple non-motorized form of transportation has a few drawbacks, though.
It's cold in winter, isn't good for skateboardpooling, is easily stolen, and loses power on hills.
Still, a commendable effort.
City resolves race discrimination charges
By GREGG KRUPA Overhiser agreed to discontinue the use happy to reach an agreement with the
of an employe, evaluation form which de- Commission and to close the case," he
The city of Ann Arbor and the Michigan partment workers found objectionable. said.
Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) reached Overhiser said a new form has been in use Still a mystery in the affair is a 30 page
an out-of-court settlement yesterday in a for four months. Th new form allows for report documenting the MCRC's findings
case involving complaints filed by three more qualifying com ents to be filled in in the investigation of the department.
employes of the planning Department. by the city, clarifying actual personnel Jean King, the attorney for the three com-
Although both the city and MCRC agreed problems. plainants and Sylvester Murray City Ad-
the settlement was satisfactory, if the com- "Actually these forms have not been ministrator have filed motions under the
plainants find it unsatisfactory, they may ursed for or against employes," said Over- Freedom of Information Act, hoping to get
pursue litigation of their grievances. hiser, "but merely to stimulate discussion a look at the report.
BY THE TEtRMS of tise settlement, or between employes and the city." BUT ADELE Val Verde, chief idvestiga-
BY THETERMS f thesettlemnt, for BTAEEVlVrecifvvsia
nter department technicians Joh aMortos OVERIISER SAID he was, "Reluctant-. or for.the MCRC said the report would
will receive $4,369,69 - bIc-,pay from ysatisfied" with the settlement because not be released until all litigation in the
the time he was laid off last'all 'nate {een though the department was not-found. case has been finalized.'
was offered a job with the city in March, guilty of discrimination, "some people will Overhiser said that he also would like