[3] During his tenure as superintendent, McAndrew was a polarizing figure, facing tense criticism from teacher's unions and others for some of the reforms he fought to implement, but also receiving national praise.

[10] During his successful 1927 campaign against incumbent Democratic mayor William Emmett Dever, Republican nominee William Hale Thompson (the former mayor) alleged that McAndrew was a British agent sent by King George as part of a grand conspiracy to manipulate the minds of American children and set the groundwork for the United Kingdom to repossess the United States, and accused the "left-handed Irishman" Dever of being part of the plot.

However, Alderman William D. Meyering, a decorated veteran of World War I, stood up and stated that he actually agreed with McAndrew's statement, which served to quash the momentum of Coughlin's ordinance.

[14] Thompson made the campaign promise of appointing, "a patriotic school board...who will rid the city of Superintendent McAndrew," and "his pro-English 'yes' men and women".

[19] A 1968 report by Robert J. Havighurst expressed the belief that Thompson was taking advantage of the situation created by McAndrew's combative relationship with teachers unions and the Chicago Federation of Labor.

The New York Times, on March 28, 1927, wrote, No work of Mayor Dever's Administration has been more praiseworthy than the improvement and extension of the public school system, the seat of enormous mismanagement and inefficiency under Thompsonism.

[24] In July, Coath stated that the "bunk shooting educator" McAndrew was barely grasping onto his position and was promising that he would be ousted before the start of the new school year in September.

"[25] On the Chicago Board of Education, member Otto L. Schmidt was made chairman of a committee to investigate the history textbooks taught in the city's schools.

[27] The following day, the Chicago Tribune reported that McAndrew's only apparent remaining supporters on the board were Helen M. Hefferan, James Mullenbach, Walter J. Raymer, and Otto L.

[27] On August 29, 1927, James Todd, the attorney of the Chicago Board of Education, presented charges against McAndrew of insubordination (due to his support of the school clerks) and "conduct incompatible and inconsistent with, and in direct violation" of his duties.

An ouster of Charles Ernest Chadsey had occurred during Thompson's first mayoralty, which would result in several school board members being charged in Cook County Circuit Court of conspiracy.

[35] The statement, in part, read, It is now seven months since the new mayor in his official inaugural address declared his intention, though he has no proper jurisdiction over the schools, to proceed to oust the superintendent...It is now nearly five months since your president and five members voted to charge me with insubordination and improper conduct in having entered into an unlawful confederacy with certain employees of the board, designated as extra teachers....Instead of trying me on the alleged misdemeanor for which I was suspended, you have permitted to be added a host of irrelevant allegations....The repeated published assertion of your president that he will put the superintendent out, the degradation of your school system in the eyes of the entire country by editorial condemnation of the trial as a farce and vaudeville; the cloud of aspersion you permit to remain upon you best teachers that they recommended to the superintendent the adoption of poisoned books; the effect on your school children of the continued characterization of your proceedings as a travesty on justice; the repeated and uncontradicted editorial designation of his trial as before a packed jury and an admittedly prejudicial judge, all lead me to desire to escape being a party to the continuance of what is almost universally regarded as a burlesque.

[61] On one occasion, Helen Hefferan, a Chicago Board of Trustee supporting McAndrew, held up a 1921 newspaper during the hearing which featured an article alleging a conspiracy to litter textbooks with British propaganda.

[62] During the early weeks of the administrative hearing, which McAndrew and his lawyers attended, the board read a letter written to them by Thompson, naming a number of Polish, German, and other ethnic "heroes" that he demanded to be taught in the city's schools.

[52] A moment which drew national attention during the administrative hearing saw Righeimer yell at McAndrew, "and you left out of the schools the name of that great hero, Ethan Allen, who said he had only one life to give for his country!"

[25] Allegations were levied by Thompson allies that McAndrew was conspiring with Charles Edward Merriam and others at the University of Chicago (decried as a "stronghold of King George") to, "destroy love of America in the hearts of children".

[25] During the administrative hearing, it was revealed that Thompson had, during his campaign, hired a court reporter to pose student and spy on a University of Chicago professor who was teaching a history class that had been recommended for public school teachers.

[23] In May 1926, McAndrew had denied a request by the United States Navy to allow them to fundraise for the restoration of the USS Constitution by soliciting contributions from students in the schools.

At the time, the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune praised McAndrew for this decision on the grounds that they believed that financial solicitations of any kind had no place in the city's public schools.

[65] When questioned under oath by Righeimer on October 6, 1927, McAndrew admitted to having removed some documents from the Chicago Board of Education's files in order to prepare his defense.

The following day Baker would see retribution from the Chicago Board of Education by being installed principal of the city's southernmost school, Mount Greenwood –which was considered an undesirable job.

[62] Righeimer warned, "this trial board has no right to punish you for contempt, Mr. McAndrew, but it certainly will consider your conduct in refusing to give important information when the time comes to pass on your case.

[69] Gorman also alleged that the English-Speaking Union had played a role in McAndrew's appointment as superintendent in Chicago, and his earlier placement in a leadership position in New York City Public Schools.

[77] Miller claimed that, in 1921, historians such as Andrew C. McLaughlin (head of the University of Chicago's American history department), Carlton J. H. Hayes (of Columbia University), David S. Muzzey, and Willis M. West dined together at the Savoy Hotel in London, England, claiming that they and 100 other history authors had been, "wined and dined at the expense of the British Government in such a degree of gratitude as to provoke protest in Parliament at the extravagance.

[4][25] Time characterized the Chicago Board of Education as, "a partial set of false teeth in Mayor William Hale Thompson's capable mouth", writing that they had, "orders to chew up Superintendent McAndrew".

The resolution alleged that many of the opponents of Thompson's anti-British crusade as being "recipients of British favors, which causes them to feel obliged to denounce their own nation and send to the level of the lowest worm of humanity.

[53] During the October 27, 1927 hearing, John J. Gorman testified that Thompson found it regrettable that the mayor's "America First" message had been sullied by the "false reports" about book burnings.

[30][60][92] The resolution adopted to find McAndrew guilty was twenty-pages long, and claimed that proof had been presented, "of what William Hale Thompson originally brought to the attention of the public, evidence that there is organized pro-British and anti-American propaganda of stupendous proportions in our country with deep ramification extending to and thru schools and colleges."

The South Bend Tribune opined that, As is usual hen politicians play football with a school system, the public is left holding the bag.

[93] On October 11, 1929, John J. Gorman wrote an apology letter David Saville Muzzey admitting that he had never actually read his textbook American History (which he had attacked during the administrative hearing), and that the sworn statements he had made were, in fact, written by someone else.