Montgomery County Board of Education Thursday released a redacted version of the report concerning the promotion of former Paint Branch High School and Farquhar Middle School Joel Beidleman.
Following an investigation by the Washington Post, Joel Beidleman is on extended leave. He was the subject of numerous complaints of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior dating back to 2017. Still, he received a promotion and pay increase, and questions were raised as to who in the MCPS administration and BOE were aware of any complaints.
The BOE hired the law firm of Jackson Lewis to investigate and has summarized the report.
The 33-page report details complaints against Beidleman and what happened with those complaints. The complaints started in July 2017 and continued through July 20 of this year.
It notes that MCPS did not investigate any anonymous complaints. It did look into three complaints from students and two from staff.
“There is no dispute,” it states in the redacted report that someone told anyone who asked that there were complaints filed against Beidleman. This person, whose name is blacked out, told people during discussions of his possible promotion.
Some members of MCPS leadership staff, whose names were blackened out, knew about an investigation of Beidleman.
Following numerous calls to make the report public, BOE members released the version in its effort toward “restore trust with our staff and community,” it wrote in a message.
However, there are many blackened out portions. The BOE explained that by state law, personnel records cannot be made public.
Previously, members of the Montgomery County Council urged the BOE to release the report.
Councilmember Will Jawando praised the BOE for “releasing a redacted full report from Jackson Lewis on the investigation of misconduct allegations by a Montgomery County Public Schools principal.”
He called it an “important step forward in accountability and transparency for the families, students and staff within the school system.”
According to Jawando, the release doesn’t affect the ongoing investigations.
Currently, the Montgomery County Office of Inspector General is investigating the matter.
BOE statement regarding the release of the redacted Jackson-Lewis Investigation Report. The redacted report can be found on the Board's website. pic.twitter.com/0Jj2D6PWHl
— Moco BOE (@mocoboe) October 12, 2023
