MCPS will release a new harassment reporting system and process handbook by Aug. 26, school system officials stated during a joint County Council’s Education and Culture and Audit Committee hearing on June 20.
The county is currently revamping its existing procedures for reporting and investigating harassment incidents, following a 2023 sexual harassment and misconduct scandal.
On June 17, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report detailing its findings from an investigation into how MCPS follows up on staff complaints and for permitting the promotion of former Principal Joel Beidleman despite multiple harassment complaints lodged against him.
The review “found numerous issues with the manner in which MCPS and DCI [Department of Compliance and Investigations] handle and investigate complaints of employee misconduct,” and that MCPS lacks a comprehensive written policy “addressing the receipt, evaluation, tracking and disposition of complaints.”
“We recommend the BOE draft and implement a comprehensive policy, and MCPS issue aligned regulations and procedures, regarding the receipt and processing of employee misconduct complaints,” the June 17 memorandum from Senior Legislative Analyst Essie McGuire states.
The memorandum also recommended creating a centralized, searchable database of all complaints within MCPS so that patterns of misconduct and repeat offenders can be identified.
During the hearing, interim MCPS Superintendent Monique Felder also said that the school system has extended its email retention period by three years. Maintaining email records for an extended period of time could help facilitate potential investigations.
MCPS recently updated its Corrective Actions Progress Report Tracker, released in April 2024, to track the findings and recommendations of several ongoing investigations at the time, to reflect the OIG’s latest report.
