Montgomery County Education Association called the law firm that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) hired to investigate claims of abuse and harassment concerning Paint Branch High’s former principal “anti-worker,” noting it “has assisted organizations overcome sexual harassment claims in the past.”
MCPS announced recently it hired Jackson Lewis to review numerous allegations that former Principal Joel Beidleman was the subject of numerous complaints of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior dating back to 2017. He had been principal at Farquhar Middle School before being promoted to Paint Branch.
“Given the scale and scope of allegations employees provided to MCPS, an investigation needs to focus on why MCPS management failed to protect staff and instead promoted the principal. MCPS has now chosen to conduct a second investigation of their complaints using a firm that specializes in protecting management from sexual harassment claims, not in ensuring safe working conditions for employees,” the teacher’s union noted in a news release.
“Our members displayed extraordinary courage in reporting, through the appropriate MCPS channels, the abuse they were facing. It should not take media attention for MCPS to suddenly recognize and address such an egregious problem that is harming educators, students, and our community,” the union’s release further stated.
MCEA, which represents 14,000 classroom teachers, school counselors, speech pathologists, media specialists and other educators, vowed to “provide support” to its members “and ensure that they receive what they need to navigate an awful situation, one that MCPS chose to make worse by ignoring credible allegations and overwhelming evidence.”
As of August 4, MCPS placed Beidleman on “extended leave” and initiated an independent external investigation into the claims. In June, Beidleman had been promoted to principal of Paint Branch with a 20% raise in salary.
A search Friday of Beidleman’s name on the MCPS staff directory came up empty.
The union alerted former and current staff members at Farquhar and Clemente middle schools that they may be called in to a meeting concerning Principal Joe Beidleman in reference to the dozen complaints filed against him.
“We would like to first stress that MCPS has informed us that this meeting is NOT disciplinary, nor are you under the threat of discipline,” MCEA wrote to the staff of those schools.
The letter also noted that staff members do not have to meet with investigators during non-duty days or hours. If asked to speak to an investigator, MCEA urged staff members to contact the union through email at takeaction@mceanea.org.
MCEA also noted in is news release, “MCPS must fulfill its duty to protect its employees through a truly independent investigator, one with extensive experience in victim-focused sexual misconduct investigations, and one that does not have a pre-existing relationship with the district. We encourage the public to join us in calling for a truly independent investigation, and for MCPS to work with us on reforming their policies so that this never happens again.”
MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight posted a five-minute video Thursday on both the investigation and the start of the coming school year.
“As a professional, a woman and a mother, I am very disturbed by the reports which is why I am working to get to the bottom of what may have happened and how it may have been allowed to persist so long,” she said in the video.
She also said, “If there is any rot, we will root it out,” and promised there will be accountability. “This will time to get it right,” she noted.
Here is her full statement.
The Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Association also issued a statement.
“As stakeholder of his system, we call on the Board of Education to fulfill its oversight duties and diagnose and disclose the failures that occurred. The system has failed. The public deserves an explanation, commitment that taction will be taken to rectify the process, and full visibility into the progress of those actions,”
Here is their statement.
