Anna Scull Case records

Anna Scull was born in December of 1832. She devoted nearly 30 years teaching in the public schools of Philadelphia. By 1874, Scull was appointed principal of the Hunter Girl’s Grammar School located at Dauphin and Mascher Streets in Philadelphia.

One day during a history lecture in February of 1881, Scull was alleged to have taught students false statements that insulted the Catholic faith. As a result of these allegations, a petition dated March 8, 1881 was presented by parents, citizens, and city taxpayers to the Board of Education stating that schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were established for the purpose of secular education only, with the obvious understanding that secular schools will not teach or attack any religious doctrine. However, the petitioners alleged that the Hunter Girl’s Grammar School was in violation of the Commonwealth’s law. The Petitioners alleged that Scull not only promoted the Lutheran Reformation, but she also “attacked, vilified and abused the faith, religion and belief” of their children as well as “assailed the religious creed and faith” of the Roman Catholic Church.

What Miss Anna Scull was alleged to have specifically stated while teaching the history lesson at Hunter Girl’s Grammar School was, “the Catholic priests excommunicated people for not paying money or tithes; that the priest rang a bell, closed a book and blew out a candle, and cursed the souls of the excommunicated persons to dwell among demons for all eternity; that the priest cursed all parts of the bodies of such persons; that she was sure that was not the right spirit of Christ, and that it was enough to make anybody tremble to hear Catholic priests curse the souls of people.”

Upon receiving the petition which was signed by thirteen petitioners, the Board of Public Education referred the matter to the Committee on Grammar, Secondary and Primary Schools of the Board of Education, a special committee called to conduct a formal investigation of the event(s) that transpired in February of 1881 at the Hunter Girl’s Grammar School that involved Miss Anna Scull’s alleged transgression. The members of the committee comprised: Dr. S.R. Knight, Superintendent of the Episcopal Hospital, president; S.Y. Hotchkiss, secretary; William F. Miller, controller; Joseph Adamson; Dr. G.A. Bachman; William Bardsley; John Emsley; Dr. J.M. Higgins; Robert Judge; William McKinney; S.C. Pursell; Henry Schneider; and Dr. J.O. Eberhand.

After reviewing the petition, the Committee passed a resolution on March 11, 1881 which stated that a formal investigation on the matter will be required to ascertain the facts and deliver a final report which would include testimonies, conclusions and actions of the Board.

The first special committee meeting began on March 14, 1881. Subsequent special committee meetings went on throughout March and ended on March 28, 1881. A regular meeting of the committee was held on March 31, 1881 to present the final report of the investigation. After hearing testimonies and investigating the petition’s complaints, the committee unanimously found that the charges in the petition against Miss Anna Scull’s transgressions were “wholly unsustained”[sic]. Overall, the committee believed Miss Anna Scull’s conduct did not infringe on Commonwealth law nor did the committee feel compelled to recommend any reprimands to Miss Anna Scull.