By Adam Pagnucco.
With many questions being asked about MCPS’s investigation of allegations of sexual harassment by one of its principals, Council Members Dawn Luedtke and Evan Glass have written to state and county inspectors general asking them to get involved. They have also requested that MCPS stop their investigation now being conducted by law firm Jackson Lewis and turn over its work product to the inspectors general. Their letter is reprinted below.
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August 21, 2023
The Honorable Richard P. Henry
Inspector General
Office of the Inspector General for Education
State of Maryland
100 Community Place, 4th Floor
Crownsville, MD 21032
The Honorable Megan Limarzi
Inspector General, Montgomery County
51 Maryland Avenue, Suite 600
Rockville, MD 20861
Dear Inspectors General Henry and Limarzi:
We write to request your office investigate how Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) handled reported allegations of sexual harassment, bullying, and retaliation by one of the school system’s middle school principals. As first reported in a Washington Post article published on August 11, 2023, these allegations span a period of seven years and include eighteen complaints to the school system. The allegations include disturbing accounts of teachers and parents making complaints to MCPS about Dr. Joel Beidleman’s behavior through formal processes and discussions with MCPS staff. The incidents reportedly were shared with MCPS via the following mechanisms:
- Complaints made to MCPS’s Department of Compliance and Investigations;
- Educators seeking relief through advocacy by their union, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), writing to the school system’s labor relations office regarding the allegations;
- Individual staff members submitting complaints to the Safe Schools Maryland anonymous reporting system in 2021 and 2022 that were routed to MCPS’s Department of Safety and Security; and
- A parent’s transfer request to have their children moved away from the school where Dr. Beidleman served as principal based on allegations that he made derogatory comments of a sexual nature about another female student.
The extent and nature of any investigations into these complaints by MCPS is unclear, though the article includes allegations that the school system failed to adequately act, and these complaints all predate the announcement by MCPS that Dr. Beidleman was promoted to the position of principal at Paint Branch High School.
In order to fulfill our duty to protect school staff, students, and parents, an investigation into these matters requires independence, accountability and a commitment to full transparency.
We believe your offices are best suited to investigate these widespread and extensive allegations because you are independent of MCPS and the Montgomery County Board of Education, are tasked with providing accountability and transparency in the expenditure of public funds for education, and have legislative mandates to examine and investigate complaints related to the management and affairs of County boards of education, local school systems and public schools.
The extensive allegations and repetitive complaints concerning sexual harassment and bullying by an individual in a position of authority over subordinates within the school system raise concerns of violations of civil rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as other violations of State and federal law. Recognizing that this investigative area falls within the State Inspector General for Education’s purview, we seek to have each of your offices handle the appropriate portions of the investigation based on the statutory language applicable to your respective duties.
Given the independent authority of your offices from MCPS and the Montgomery County Board of Education, and your broad investigative authority covering the allegations at issue, it is appropriate for you to coordinate the investigation between your two offices into the school system’s handling of these matters.
We are aware that MCPS contracted with the law firm of Jackson Lewis to conduct an independent investigation on its behalf, and that Jackson Lewis has commenced that work. By copy of this letter to Dr. McKnight and Board President Karla Silvestre, we respectfully request that MCPS halt the work of Jackson Lewis in this matter and turn over the work product gathered thus far to both Inspectors General in this matter.
We appreciate your partnership in ensuring a neutral, truly independent investigation of these matters, and respect that you may refer your findings to the State Superintendent, the State Board of Education, Governor and General Assembly.
As the new school year is about to begin, our educators, staff, students, and families need to know that someone truly independent is tasked with conducting this investigation in order to restore public trust.
Very truly yours,
Dawn Luedtke
Councilmember, District 7
Evan Glass
Councilmember, At Large
cc: Dr. Monifa McKnight, Superintendent, MCPS
Karla Silvestre, President, Montgomery County Board of Education
