By Adam Pagnucco.
Yesterday, the county council’s Education and Culture Committee met to discuss MCPS’s sexual harassment scandal. With the investigation’s first phase complete (but its results not fully released), the council asked MCPS officials about matters known and unknown as well as the future. Every member of the council attended and asked questions. Representing MCPS were Board of Education President Karla Silvestre and Superintendent Monifa McKnight. Also appearing was Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi. The video of the meeting can be watched here.
These being politicians, there was a bit of political performance art – as expected! This series will focus on what we actually learned from the session with transcripts of questions asked and answers provided. Let’s go to the tape and hit the big points.
McKnight said she was unaware of the allegations against former Principal Joel Beidleman when he was promoted.
Superintendent Monifa McKnight makes her opening statement.
In her opening statement, the superintendent said: “Like the members of the Board of Education, I was not aware that there was an internal investigation against Dr. Joel Beidleman at the time of his promotion. And that has been confirmed through the independent investigation. With that said, again I point that out as an opportunity of improvement. We must have processes that are buttoned up, tight and most importantly, guarded to protect the interest of the children and the students in the school system.”
Later, Council Member Will Jawando asked McKnight, “Can you just confirm because this has been asked. You said it but I want you to confirm again. You or the board had no knowledge of the allegations against Mr. Beidleman before or during the promotion process.”
McKnight replied, “At the time of his promotion, that is correct.”
MCPS is refusing to release the Jackson Lewis report even if it is redacted.
Council Member Will Jawando, the chair of the council’s Education and Culture Committee.
Jawando asked Silvestre and McKnight: “You have the Jackson Lewis report. You gave a broad summary. Do you plan to release the redacted version of the report, a full version? And if so, when?”
Board of Education President Karla Silvestre replies to Jawando.
Silvestre: “As I said in my remarks, because of the Maryland Public Information Act, we need to protect the personnel information that is within that report, and so the board has decided to release a summary of that report instead. We don’t want to break the law.”
Jawando: “So you do not plan to release the report even if it’s redacted.”
Silvestre: “That’s correct.”
Jawando: “OK. I think, you know, that’s something we’ve all heard from the public. We release redacted things all the time, even if it’s completely redacted. All the names can be blotted out. We’ve had to do that here at the council on very sensitive matters related to boards under our authority as well, so I would just ask you to reconsider that. I think you will probably hear that from more than one member. I think one of the challenges here, and the reason I thought it was so important to have this hearing, is that the public needs to have full assurance, and I think the IG [inspector general] has stated this, that this will be an open process, that it will be transparent, that they’ll know what happened – again, within the confines of the law, and I hear you on that – so I would just ask both of you to consider… it’s the board, the board’s decision to consider that.”
Several other council members later called on the board to release a redacted version of the full Jackson Lewis report. Indeed, Silvestre has previously promised a transparent process.
We will have more questions and answers in Part Two.