By Adam Pagnucco.
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO is continuing to target Sheriff Max Uy over allegations of mismanagement and creating a toxic workplace. Its latest press release, issued yesterday, adds a claim that the Sheriff’s Office has violated state law by not answering a request by the union under the Maryland Public Information Act in timely fashion. MCGEO goes on to discuss problems raised by the office’s recent Workload-Based Staffing Analysis involving whether the office is properly staffed.
I asked the Sheriff’s Office for a response that will be printed in my next post. For now, here is MCGEO’s press release.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2025
Contact:
Lisa Titus, Recorder, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO
ltitus@mcgeo.org
Gino Renne, President, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO
grenne@mcgeo.org
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO Calls on Sheriff Maxwell Uy to Comply with Maryland Public Information Laws and Address Widespread Mismanagement and Toxic Workplace Conditions
Montgomery County, MD — UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO is calling on Montgomery County Sheriff Maxwell Uy to immediately comply with Maryland’s Public Information Act and address mounting evidence of mismanagement, retaliation, and a deeply toxic work environment within the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Last month, MCGEO submitted a formal information request to Sheriff Uy seeking records related to allegations that the Sheriff’s Office mishandled the Cooperative Reimbursement Agreement CSA-CSR-25-043, a state-funded grant supporting deputies assigned to the Child Support Division. The Agreement requires grant-funded deputies to dedicate their work exclusively to child support enforcement duties.
Union members have reported that deputies funded through this state child support grant were routinely diverted to non-child support assignments while still being paid through grant funds. If substantiated, these actions could constitute a violation of the Agreement and misuse of state child support enforcement funds.
To date, Sheriff Uy has failed to respond to the request, in direct violation of Md. Code Ann., Gen. Provis. § 4-203(b)(2) & (c)(1)(ii), which requires a prompt response and written notice if additional time is needed. Sheriff Uy has met neither requirement. MCGEO will pursue all available legal remedies to ensure compliance.
A report commissioned by Sheriff Uy himself—Montgomery County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office: Workload-Based Staffing Analysis—appears to corroborate members’ concerns. The report confirms that all Child Support Enforcement Section staff are grant-funded and that deputies are “frequently pulled to backfill courtroom security and transportation” duties (p. 27), directly contradicting the Sheriff’s public denials.
Despite publicly labeling the allegations as “false,” Sheriff Uy transferred two deputies out of the Child Support Section immediately after the concerns became public, raising serious questions about retaliation and the credibility of his statements.
A Culture of Fear, Retaliation, and Dysfunction
In recent months, Sheriff’s Office employees have taken the extraordinary step of submitting written accounts detailing the work environment under Sheriff Uy’s leadership. These accounts describe an administration characterized by intimidation, micromanagement, favoritism, retaliation, and a pervasive fear of speaking out.
Deputies report losing confidence in leadership, being subjected to constantly shifting expectations, and facing retaliation for exercising workplace rights. Many describe severe stress, anxiety, and depression resulting directly from workplace conditions. Some report being denied opportunities or threatened with removal from assignments, while others describe retaliation for taking legally protected leave to care for family members. Several employees report needing therapy to cope with their work environment.
Rather than acknowledging or addressing these concerns, Sheriff Uy publicly dismissed the accounts as “meritless” and “a distraction,” further reinforcing the climate of fear and mistrust within the agency.
Leadership Failures with Real Public Safety Consequences
Sheriff Uy’s refusal to accept responsibility extends well beyond workplace culture. He has failed to account for:
- 80 percent of employees who voted no confidence in his leadership
- The departure of more than 30 deputies and civilian employees during his tenure
- Chronic understaffing and plummeting morale
- Persistent backlogs in critical operational functions
- Frequent disruptions to courthouse operations
In March, members of the County judiciary testified before the County Council’s Public Safety Committee about escalating unruly and threatening behavior in the courthouse, including a defendant appearing at an employee’s home. Chronic understaffing continues to delay court proceedings and compromise safety.
The staffing analysis report also exposes a severe backlog of open arrest warrants. MCGEO estimates that approximately 2,000 arrest warrants remain unserved, with deputies typically assigned to warrant service only one day per week—an unacceptable failure that undermines justice for victims and puts the broader community at risk.
Sheriff Uy has attempted to attribute staffing shortages to the COVID-19 pandemic and national events following George Floyd’s murder. These explanations are unconvincing. Neighboring agencies, including the Gaithersburg and Rockville police departments, are nearly fully staffed.
Deputy Testimony Illustrates the Reality Inside the Sheriff’s Office
The following anonymized statements from deputy sheriffs further illustrate the work environment fostered under Sheriff Uy’s leadership. These accounts are representative but not exhaustive:
- “Sheriff Uy is an absent leader who allows his leadership team to terrorize employees. Manipulation and favoritism run rampant.”
- “Over the last three years, I’ve faced moving goal posts, unrealistic expectations, and harassment through micromanagement. I no longer make decisions for fear of retaliation.”
- “The culture is driven by fear, intimidation, and micromanagement. I’ve lost all confidence in leadership.”
- “This toxic workplace has caused significant psychological stress.”
- “I quit after being threatened with removal from my unit, denied opportunities, and retaliated against for taking leave to care for a dying family member.”
- “Morale is at an all-time low. The office has become an ‘us versus them’ workplace with no real leadership.”
- “The stress has followed me home. Anxiety and depression have become part of daily life.”
- “The office has become so toxic I’ve had to seek therapy just to survive going to work.”
Accountability Cannot Be Optional
“Let me be crystal clear,” said UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO. “We will not stand idly by while the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deteriorates. Sheriff Uy’s continued failure to lead, to comply with the law, and to address documented concerns puts employees, the courts, and the public at risk.”
MCGEO will continue to hold Sheriff Uy accountable—through legal, contractual, and public channels—until transparency is restored, retaliation ends, and the Sheriff’s Office is led with the integrity and competence Montgomery County residents deserve.