By Adam Pagnucco.
County Executive Marc Elrich has released the following statement on the summary of MCPS’s sexual harassment investigation that was published last night.
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Statement From Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on Investigation into MCPS Sexual Harassment Allegations
The Jackson Lewis report summary released by the Board of Education raised some deeply troubling questions that need to be answered regarding this specific case as well as the process on how all allegations of sexual harassment are handled within the system.
I have not seen the full report at this time, and I have not been briefed by MCPS nor the Board of Education about this investigation.
From what I read that was publicly available, it is disturbing that those involved in promoting a principal did not feel an obligation to follow up on the details of an investigation that they were aware of prior to approving the promotion. That is highly irresponsible, inappropriate and a risk to school security.
But, equally upsetting is the disclosure that the MCPS promotion process “does not have a mechanism to automatically identify whether a candidate for a promotion or a transfer is under investigation” and that anonymous tips are not followed up on and investigated. I await the broader investigation, including addressing the issues submitted by the teacher’s union members and staff to the Board and administration, and I expect a full and complete investigation that addresses all the outstanding questions and issues.
The MCPS staff, families, and the entire community deserve transparency, accountability, and a better process.