Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight says school board officers want her to “step away” from her role.
She stated she was provided “no justification for their request” and that “I will defend my reputation.”
An MCPS spokesperson provided MCM with the following statement from McKnight:
“Officers from the Board of Education indicated last week their desire for me to step away from my role as superintendent, providing me with no justification for their request. The Board has never written, documented, or communicated any concern about my performance, and through the evaluation process has consistently affirmed that I have met expectations. For these reasons, I’m concerned that its actions are based on something other than my performance, which would constitute a violation of my contract. I will defend my reputation and my decades-long commitment to the students and families of MCPS, and will demand that any considerations of my role as superintendent are made through a fair, legitimate, and legal process — anything less would be unacceptable.”
The school system has recently come under the scrutiny of investigations surrounding Dr. Joel Beidleman — currently on administrative leave — who was promoted to Paint Branch High School principal despite numerous sexual harassment complaints against him. In a recent development, McKnight submitted an Action Plan Update that was released Monday to ensure that personnel with abuse or sexual harassment complaints filed against them are not promoted until properly vetted.
Board of Education (BOE) President Karla Silvestre did not respond to MCM for comment but the BOE issued the following statement Monday evening:
“The Board is aware of Dr. McKnight’s recent statement to the media regarding her employment. The Board continues to fulfill its role as an employer. This is a personnel matter and in alignment with laws related to personnel matters, we, as her employer will not be providing further comment at this time. The Board of Education remains committed to the success of all students and staff and will continue to meet our public commitment to ensure MCPS delivers an exceptional educational experience.”
MoCo360 was first to report this story.
