Students Whip Oddville High School Teacher
Two Placed Under Arrest and School Is Closed for An Investigation
CYNTHIANA, Ky., April 4-(AP)- With one student under arrest and juvenile warrants out for two others, quiet reigned today at the Oddville high school in this county, where a man teacher was the victim of an attack by his pupils Wednesday.
W. L. Case, county school superintendent, has ordered the school dismissed for the remainder of the week pending an investigation of the trouble which led to the beating of J. Ardery McCauley, 25, the teacher.
Melvin Florence, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Florence, was arrested today on a charge of assault and battery in connection with the attack. Warrants also were issued for Joe Nankivel, 17, son of Rev. D. W. Nankivel, principal of the school, and Richard Lee Brown, 16, son of J. Matt Brown.
McCauley, able to be out today but wearing dark glasses to protect blackened eyes, said the attack started when several of the boys slipped up behind him and held his arms while other youths struck him in the face with their fists.
The mauling continued until he was badly bruised about the head, face, and throat. McCauley was brought to his home here and treated by a physician after the attack.
It was reported that members of the faculty and patrons of the school some time ago had become divided into two factions and were at sharp odds, the difference principally concerning the employment of teachers for the school.
The Paducah Sun-Democrat Paducah, Kentucky, Thursday, April 4, 1935
Principal Resigns
Rev. D. W. Nankivel Quits Post at Strife-Torn Oddville School
Special to The Herald
CYNTHIANA. Ky, April The Rev. D. W. Nankivel, principal of the Oddville consolidated school, who has been under fire for two weeks, offered his written resignation to Superintendent W. L. Case today. It was accepted. Mr. Case said that there that there had been no charges against Mr. Nankivel’s character.
Two hundred patrons of the Oddville school came to Cynthiana tonight to appear before the Harrison board of education and commend J. Ardery McCauley, a teacher who exposed the conditions at the school and later was attacked by a group of boys who attempted to retaliate against him.
Robert O. Haviland acted as spokesman for the group tonight. He pledged the cooperation of the delegation in an effort to better conditions at Oddville.
The Lexington Herald Lexington, Kentucky, Wednesday, April 10, 1935
Oddville School Head Quits, Denies Charges
Cynthiana, Ky., April 9 (AP)- The Rev. B. N. Nankevil resigned today as principal of the Oddville High School and in a letter to Superintendent of Schools W. L. Case declared “I am innocent of the various charges that have been brought against me.”
In his letter he declared it his opinion that “interests of the school (would) be best served if all of the teachers now connected with the school be replaced by teachers who have no connection with the school.”
Wednesday when Ardery McCauley, a teacher, charged he had been beaten by three pupils. One of these, yesterday, shouldered responsibility for the alleged attack.
The Courier-Journal Louisville, Kentucky, Wednesday, April 10, 1935
Oddville High School Has Third Principal This Month
Cynthiana, Ky., April 18. (P)-The Rev. N. Wilson Burke, 30, took charge of the Oddville High school today as that institution’s third principal this month. The Rev. D. W. Nankevil resigned after a teacher was beaten, allegedly by three students, and C. O. Mattingly, Lexington, principal when school opened Monday after a week’s suspension of classes, was relieved of his duties by Superintendent W. L. Case, who said Mattingly was physically unfitted for the position.
The Owensboro Messenger Owensboro, Kentucky, Friday, April 19, 1935
Oddville Pupils Receive Warning
Special to The Leader– CYNTHIANA, Ky., April 20. At a meeting of the Harrison county board of education Friday, charges were heard against Melbourne Florence, 19, and Richard Lee Brown, 17, for allegedly having attacked and beaten J. Ardery McCauley, a teacher at Oddville high school, and the two boys were suspended from school until the next meeting of the board on May 6.
Joe Nankivel, son of Rev. D. W. Nankivel, deposed principal of the school, is now living with his parents at Corinth, Grant county, and charges against him in connection with the attack on McCauley were not investigated.
Rev. N. Wilson Burke, a grade teacher at Oddville, took charge of the school after C. O. Mattingly was released by Prof. W. L. Case, who said the latter was “physically un- fitted” for the position. On taking charge of the school Wednesday, Principal Burke warned the pupils against infractions of the school rules. He told officials, it is stated, that he had whipped some pupils for disobedience and would do so again, if necessary.
Lexington Herald-Leader Lexington, Kentucky, Saturday, April 20, 1935
Suspensions Not Lifted By Board In Harrison
Special to The Leader
CYNTHIANA. Ky., May 8- At a meeting of the Harrison county board of education Monday, it was voted to continue the suspension of the junior students. Richard Lee Brown, 17, and Melbourne Florence, 19, from Oddville high school for the remainder of the term. The school will close May 28.
Brown, Florence and Joe Nankivel 17, a son of Rev. D. W. Nankivel, former principal at Oddville, were suspended following an alleged attack by them on J. Ardery McCauley, one of the teachers at the school, on April 3. County School Superintendent W. L. Case immediately closed the school, and Mr. Nankivel resigned about 10 days later. The school is now conducted by Rev. N. Wilson Burke, who administered whippings to several disobedient pupils on taking charge, it was stated.
No proof was heard against Joe Nankivel Monday because he no longer resides in the Oddville district, having moved to Corinth with his father. The three boys had waived examining trials here and were held to the next grand jury, which will meet May 27.
Lexington Herald-Leader Lexington, Kentucky, Wednesday, May 8, 1935
Indictments Name Oddville Youths
Special to The Leader
CYNTHIANA, Ky., June 7.-Joe Nankivel, 16; Richard Lee Brown, 17, and Melbourne Florence, 19, were indicted Wednesday by the Harrison county grand jury on an assault and battery charge, the indictment growing out of the alleged beating of J. Ardery McCauley last April 3 at Oddville high school, where he was employed as a teacher.
The beating was administered, it was stated, after McCauley had reported to the Harrison county board of education alleged infractions of the school rules by the boys. The trouble resulted in the closing of the school for several days and the subsequent resignation of the principal, Rev. D. W. Nankivel, father of Joe Nankivel. It has not been determined whether the case will be tried at the present term of court, which closes about June 29, or be continued until the September term.
The grand jury finally adjourn- ed Wednesday, returning one other indictment during the two days it was in session. Smith North was charged with house-breaking.
Lexington Herald-Leader Lexington, Kentucky, Friday, June 7, 1935
Oddville Case Slated For Trial; Slaying Charge Facing Jury
Special to The Leader
CYNTHIANA, Ky., Oct. 19–The docket for the four-weeks term of Harrison circuit court, which is to be convened Monday, includes the case of Melbourne Florence, Richard Brown and Joe Nankivel, former students at Oddville high school, charged with assault and battery in connection with the beating of J. Ardery McCauley, teacher at the school, last April.
Lexington Herald-Leader Lexington, Kentucky, Sunday, October 20, 1935
Indictments Filed Away
Trouble at Oddville School Is Cleared Up as Charges Against Three Students Are “Quashed”
ATTORNEY MAKES MOTION
[Special to The Herald|
CYNTHIANA, Ky., Oct. 23. – The indictments against three students of Oddville High school charging them with attacking a teacher of the school last April were filed away in Harrison county court yesterday on recommendation of Commonwealth’s Attorney A H. Barker.
The students, Joe Nankivil, 17, Richard Brown, 16, and Melbourne Florence, 19, were charged with attacking J. Ardery McCauley, after trouble had been brewing in the school for several days.
The trouble between the students and McCauley necessitated the closing of the school for several weeks and it was not reopened un- til a new principal was selected and a teacher was named to replace McCauley.
C. W. Nankivil, principal of the school and father of Joe Nankivil, was charged by McCauley with allowing “loose conduct” among the students.
The Lexington Herald Lexington, Kentucky, Thursday, October 24, 1935