Montgomery County council members and education organizations are calling for accountability and action from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Board of Education after allegations that district leaders retaliated against an employee who conducted a sexual misconduct investigation were detailed in a MoCo360 article Friday.
MCPS and the school board did not offer comment or provide responses Tuesday to questions posed by MoCo360.
Khalid Walker, a Department of Compliance and Investigations (DCI) coordinator, found evidence of “stone cold sexual harassment” during an internal investigation of Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman. He told MoCo360 that later he was instructed to reverse his finding and rewrite the report.
Walker also alleged in a complaint that top MCPS leaders retaliated against him after he spoke to outside investigators. He told MoCo360 he suffered retaliation from two of the most senior leaders in MCPS: Chief of Human Resources and Development April Key and Chief Operations Officer Brian Hull.
In response to MoCo360’s questions to the district, Key and Hull for that article, MCPS spokesman Chris Cram cited privacy rules and an ongoing Montgomery County inspector general investigation as reasons “we cannot provide specific comments or details to your questions.”
Days after the article was published, community members, parents, teachers and local elected officials stated they were troubled by the new details. Several of them faulted district leadership and pointed to a need for the school board to exercise its oversight authority.
The report, as well as recent and upcoming investigations into MCPS by the Office of the Inspector General, come amid a challenging budget season for the district.
The upcoming OIG report, which analyzes how MCPS investigates and addresses complaints of misconduct, is expected to be released this month and the County Council plans to hold joint oversight hearings that will be open to the public.
County Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At-large), the chair of the Education and Culture Committee, told MoCo360 that the committee is working on scheduling the hearings, based on when the OIG’s report is released.
“These issues that are alleged [in MoCo360’s investigation] will certainly be, you know, part of the scope of that review,” Jawando said. “As far as: What happened? Who knew what? What processes and procedures weren’t followed? And how do we make sure that that doesn’t happen again?”
He added that although the County Council can act as an oversight body on the fiduciary level, the Board of Education is “charged with the authority and elected by residents to decide school policy” and address the issues brought up by the investigation and report.
Members of the Board of Education did not respond to MoCo360’s request for comment on Tuesday morning. Cram did not comment Tuesday afternoon in reaction to the article but said the district would prepare a response.
Debby Orsak, a parent and president of the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA), said that she was shocked, saddened and disappointed after reading MoCo360’s investigation.
“I want to hear MCPS’ response to this,” she said. “If it’s true … I want to hear: Why did they do this? What are the reasons for the actions? And then, what are the next steps to remedy this?”
For Orsak, MCPS’ continued issues that have come along to light with the Beidleman investigation have made it challenging to stay optimistic about the district’s future.
The MCCPTA will be releasing an official statement later this month that will be a joint message from membership across the county, according to Orsak.
Jennifer Martin, president of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), released a letter to union members on Friday after the article was published that stated, “MCPS leaders who let unethical behavior go unaddressed are unworthy of our respect and must be held to account.”
Martin wrote that educators deserve leaders who are honest, have courage and “put the wellbeing of staff and students above self-interest.” She also encouraged members to contact the Board of Education to insist that they hold top leaders responsible and “put structures in place to ensure that integrity is restored in MCPS.”
Last week, the MCEA responded to a report from the Office of the Inspector General that revealed that a key figure in a recent investigation refused to cooperate and provided evasive answers. The OIG investigated a written complaint received by MCPS leaders about alleged sexual misconduct by senior MCPS officials.
“The fact that a top leader was not dismissed for failing to cooperate fully with the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigation indicates a lack of integrity at the highest levels of the system,” Martin wrote. “The improper dismissal of sexual harassment charges shows a blatant disregard for the safety of our members and our school communities.”
Martin added that she awaits the release of the final OIG report on the Beidleman investigation. “While we don’t yet know what sordid details may come to light, we already have substantial evidence of mismanagement and unethical actions at the highest levels of the system,” she stated.
For County Executive Marc Elrich (D), MoCo360’s investigation into MCPS alleged retaliation is “disturbing” and brings to question: “How far does it go? How long has it been going on?”
Elrich told MoCo360 that he would say more once the OIG’s next report is released but warned that if the contents of MoCo360’s investigation is reflected in the report, and perhaps go deeper, he warned, “It’s not going to be pretty.”
As county executive, Elrich has limited power over the school system and can’t fire MCPS employees. However, this is a moment where Elrich said he would like to see the Board of Education exercise its powers.
“I’d like to see the board be stronger. They have not asserted themselves,” he said. “I think that’s what I hear from people wondering: What does the school board do?”
Jawando told MoCo360 that he would like parents, community members and teachers to know that he and other council members are taking the reports of alleged misconduct and retaliation in the district seriously.
“It’s disheartening and disappointing that a supervisor would direct someone to change their report. It erodes confidence in the process,” he said. “…And now we need to make sure that the processes that failed are fixed and that we continue to do the work that I know everyone wants to do.”
Councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5), a member of the Education and Culture Committee, said in a statement emailed to MoCo360 that the allegations of retaliation were “extremely troubling.”
“MCPS leadership has a long way to go to create the transparency and accountability needed to rebuild trust with staff, students, and the community,” she said. “But we have to rebuild that trust, because our students are depending on all of us to provide the best possible learning environment for their education and development.”
Councilmember Gabe Albornoz (D-At-large), Education and Culture Committee member, said in a statement, “Frankly, if true, this is a gut punch. I have full confidence in our Office of the Inspector General to conduct a thorough investigation as evidenced by their past investigations. Once we have the IG report in hand, we will take appropriate action within the authorities of the County Council.”
The concerns from the committee were echoed by County Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) who said in a statement Friday that he was “deeply troubled” by MoCo360’s investigation.
“The reported allegations continue to raise disturbing and serious questions about MCPS’ processes and the commitment to a forthright and respectful workplace culture,” he wrote.
“While the Montgomery County Board of Education is independently elected by the voters to provide leadership and oversight for MCPS, the Council appropriates funding for the system. The Council will continue to demand more accountability and transparency from MCPS and expect the swift implementation of all the corrective actions necessary to create a positive working environment for all employees,” he continued.
Friedson added that restoring the public’s trust will require “high standards of ethical conduct and actionable steps” from MCPS in order to create a new culture of transparency and accountability. He also shared that he has spent the last five years on the council working to strengthen the Office of the Inspector General, adding two investigator positions dedicated to additional oversight of MCPS.
Other council members took to X to voice their frustrations and echo the sentiment that the school community deserves better.
In a post on X, Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large) wrote, “I’m deeply disturbed by the MoCo360 article detailed MCPS’ alleged retaliatory actions against an employee who questioned the system’s handling of sexual harassment claims.”
“This is why I originally requested an Inspector General investigation, and why I will continue to demand more transparency in our school system. Our teachers, parents and students deserve to feel safe and know the truth.”
Councilmember Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7) also posted her reaction on X: “Our students, staff, and families deserve competent, ethical, and compliance-minded leadership, nothing less. Fundamental to a healthy school-community relationship is trust. And that trust is undeniably broken.”