Dean Ousted At Queens College by Veterans' Groups

A New York City Dean lost his job last May after almost a year of attack from a Catholic Veteran group and the American Legion. Harold A. Lenz, Dean of Students at Queens College drew the fire of these groups shortly after his opposition to a proposed ban on renting College rooms to Communist or subversive groups. Lenz has been reassigned to the German department at Queens.

Since his dismissal, efforts by the students for Lenz, the Queens Citizen's Committee for Dean Lenz and a committee of representatives from liberal, labor, and educational groups headed by Rep. Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. (D, N. Y.) have failed to elicit a hearing from the New York Board of Higher Education.

The agitation for Lenz's removal began almost immediately after his opposition to the proposed banning. In September 1951, John J. Theobold, President of Queens College warned Lenz that "polite pressures" had been exerted for his removal. He indicated that "unpleasant consequences" might follow from Lenz's continued outspoken political views. Lenz is the vice-Chairman of the New York State ADA.

Similar pressures to remove Lenz had developed in the Board of Higher Education, according to its president, Dr. Orway Tead.

Students Protest

Three days after the dismissal some 350 students crowded a campus auditorium to form student Committees to fight Lenz's removal. Placards and chalked-up signs "Don't lease Lenz to the German Department" were displayed on the Queen's campus. And at the semi-annual meeting of the Faculty Division of Languages, Literature, and Art, one third of the entire faculty passed five resolutions condemning President John J. Theobold's action in dismissing Lenz.

According to Theobold, Lenz was dismissed to make room for an expanded student activities program. Lenz was ill equipped, Theobold contended, to provide the "professionally trained leadership" the new program required.

The faculty resolutions challenged Theobold's contention that Lenz was no longer suited for the job. "He has won the regard and respect of students, and won our regard and respect in his struggle against internal obstacles and external attacks."

In June, the Public Education Association in a letter to the Board of Higher Education called for an investigation of the case. According to the Association, "there has been an abridgement of Academic Freedom."

The Board denied the request on the grounds that all the facts were already known. "We are confident, therefore," said the Board Chairman, "that any call for investigation of the present situation would be inappropriate and yield no further clarification or benefit."

Lenz's appeal for a hearing had originally been granted by the Board of Higher Education. However, the Queen's College Administrative Board refused to allow the hearing on the grounds that Lenz had superceded the Board's authority by appealing to the State Education Commission for a review of his case. A spokesman for the Administrative Board said, "The case is out of our hands."