Days after the University of Maryland hired a former Montgomery County superintendent, a new online petition is calling for university officials to “reverse course” on the decision.
The Change.org petition claims that the hiring of former Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Monifa McKnight to a leadership position at the University of Maryland is “unacceptable and immoral.”
McKnight resigned from Montgomery County schools in February after the school system’s handling of allegations of bullying and sexual harassment were criticized in two reports from the county’s Office of the Inspector General. The investigations took place after misconduct allegations against former Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman came to light in August 2023. That June, Beidleman had been promoted to Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville.
The University announced Tuesday that McKnight was chosen to become its inaugural dean’s fellow and superintendent in residence starting in mid-August.
The new role includes supporting special projects for the College of Education.
The petition, which was started on Wednesday, had more than 900 signatures as of Saturday afternoon.
When asked about the petition, the University’s College of Education told WTOP that its continued focus remains on “building safe learning environments that best serve our community.”
“In order to become more impactful in our work, the College of Education strives to build stronger and sustained partnerships with school leaders, elected officials and other members of the education community. We believe our collaboration and consultation with Dr. McKnight will help us better align our work with the needs of schools and educators,” the school said in a emailed statement to WTOP.
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