MCPS improperly procured crisis management vendor in response to Beidleman scandal, county inspector general says

Report: Situation ‘seem more geared toward responding to reputational risk’ than actual emergency

June 27, 2024 8:13 p.m.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) improperly used emergency procurements to acquire crisis management and communication services in the wake of a scandal involving former middle school principal Joel Beidleman, according to a report released Thursday by the county Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

Beidleman was a former Farquhar Middle School principal who the inspector general’s office determined Dec. 1 had engaged in bullying and harassment and violated the school system’s code of conduct. Between 2016 and March 2023, educators submitted at least 18 complaints to MCPS accusing Beidleman of sexual harassment and workplace bullying, according to The Washington Post. Combined with complaints unearthed during official inquiries, at least 25 complaints had been filed with MCPS against Beidleman.

Beidleman, who is no longer employed by the school system, has denied the allegations.

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According to Thursday’s report from the inspector general’s office, MCPS spent $210,000 through emergency procurements to acquire crisis management support related to the Beidleman case.

The inspector general’s office became aware of a possible issue after receiving an April 4 hotline complaint alleging MCPS did not produce complete records in response to a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request. The complainant called MCPS’ procurement procedures “sloppy” based on the information received in the MPIA.

The office substantiated that MCPS did not adhere to its own emergency procurement policies.

The district’s procurement manual allows for the use of emergency procurements when “[a]n emergency may arise in order to protect personal safety, life or property,” according to the report.

“While Beidleman’s actions and the subsequent investigation caused increased scrutiny and complaints involving MCPS leadership and staff, the situation does not appear to have put ‘personal safety, life or property’ at risk,” the report said.

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When contacted for comment by MoCo360 Thursday afternoon, MCPS public information officer Liliana Lopez wrote in an email that the district had received the report.

“We appreciate the time and effort invested by the [office] in this investigation,” Lopez wrote. “We take their findings very seriously and view them as an opportunity to strengthen our current processes.”

Reports issued by the inspector general do not come with penalties, but often include recommendations for the future.

The school system and other county government entities use procurement procedures to acquire services that can’t be handled by staff. Emergency procurements allow for quicker acquisition of services to respond to a rapidly developing event.

“Because they are inherently riskier, result in higher costs, and lack the transparency of other procurement methods, emergency procurements should only be used when other procurement methods are not feasible,” the report said. “For this reason, MCPS places controls on their use and provides specific directions on processing requests.”

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The performance period for the unnamed vendor began Aug. 14 and the justification for the emergency procurement was submitted Aug. 30 to the MCPS Division of Procurement, according to the report.

On Oct. 12, the school board approved a $105,000 contract for crisis management services and communications services in response to the Beidleman incident under the district’s emergency procurement provisions. According to board documents, the vendor was Precision Strategies, LLC, in Washington, D.C. The school board voted Feb. 6 to approve an extension of the vendor’s contract. MCPS paid the vendor Feb. 8 for the initial contracted amount, then paid an additional $105,000 for the extended contract April 10, according to the report.

“The terms in the contract between MCPS and the selected vendor seem more geared toward responding to reputational risk than countering an incident that would lead to the ‘termination of essential services or a dangerous condition,’ ” the report said.

An unnamed senior MCPS official involved in the vendor approval process told the inspector general’s office the procurement was “rushed” and that the official felt pressured to “figure out a way to make this work.”

However, MCPS’ director of procurement told the inspector general’s office the procurement was justified and immediate action was necessary because “critical situations were happening,” according to the report.

The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the union representing MCPS teachers, issued a response to the report in a press release, criticizing the school system.

“The OIG’s Memorandum of Investigation confirms an ongoing pattern of personnel and financial mismanagement at the top of MCPS. As MCPS misspent valuable tax dollars on covering up misdeeds, it shifted time and attention away from what should have been its top priority: our students,” the release said. “This latest revelation comes as no surprise since MCPS has subjected its students and educators to an atmosphere of mistrust and instability over the past year. Unfortunately, this disclosure does little to help the district repair its credibility with the community.”

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