Terror Continues

Into a busy Brooklyn classroom last week stormed Mrs. Alice Thompson, colored. Before a frightened class of fifth-graders, she punched Teacher Zelda Meisels several times, hit her with a hand bag, slapped her, left her lying on the floor with possible brain concussion, internal in juries, hysteria.

In jail, Mrs. Thompson explained that her stepson, age ten, said the teacher had kicked him in the back. Friends of shy, timid Zelda Meisels said that was preposterous — she had merely scolded him.

This latest fever in the New York schools' "reign one of day terror" came just one day after the (TIME, New Dec. 14) York City Teachers Guild (A. F. of L.) and other teacher groups openly asked police to protect them from violent students. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia replied that the terror was exaggerated, that the New York cop would remain the children's friend.