The public school system in Montgomery County, Maryland, has hired a Baltimore-based law firm to investigate numerous allegations of bullying and sexual harassment involving a recently promoted principal.
Joel Beidleman, who had been promoted to run Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville in June, has now been placed on administrative leave, school spokesman Christopher Cram said in a statement to WTOP on Tuesday.
The Washington Post reported last week that Beidleman was the subject of at least 18 verbal or written reports submitted to the school district over the past seven years. All told, according to The Washington Post, 39 current and former staffers said they had been harassed or bullied by Beidleman, and one Farquhar Middle School teacher — where Beidleman most recently served as principal — lodged a complaint detailing 20 alleged instances of misconduct by Beidleman.
The school system spokesman said the Post report “revealed significant allegations of harassment and bullying involving one of our principals, and we thank them for that work. We immediately began an aggressive response, starting the immediate placement of Principal Joel Beidleman on Administrative leave, which removed him from further impact on students and staff.”
The investigation will be carried out by the Baltimore-based law firm, Jackson Lewis, which the school system said is “well-versed in the intricacies of Maryland public education law,” having represented several local educational agencies throughout the state.
The statement from the school system went on to say: “The independent investigative team is moving with precision and speed to advance this work to achieve clarity so that MCPS can implement appropriate action(s). Our community will learn a significant amount of detail over the next few days and weeks. However, necessary legal and human resources protocols govern the process in these matters, ensuring appropriateness for all involved.”
The Post report has been received with concern by policymakers across the county.
In a media briefing Tuesday, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said the allegations are “really concerning,” and he said there are many questions about how the original accusations were handled by the school system.
“Who was responsible for ensuring that these allegations are properly reviewed? And did the school system conduct reviews of complaints before promoting this principal? ” Elrich said.
Referring to the multiple complaints reportedly filed with the school system, he added, “I don’t know how you make a promotion decision without clearing those complaints and reaching some conclusion about them. And if you’re hiring somebody now to investigate, what does that say about the investigations that were done previously?”
Elrich said he hoped the school system’s investigation would examine the broader issues involved “in a broader swath than just this one-off incident.”
Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass, an at-large member of the council, has previously said he was “deeply disturbed” by the allegations, and said Tuesday on social media that he has requested the Montgomery County Council’s Education and Culture Committee to hold a hearing this fall “to ensure additional oversight and transparency.”
Jennifer Martin, president of the Montgomery County Education Association, said in a statement posted on social media, that the Post report “shines a light on the school system’s failure to fulfill its fundamental duty of protecting staff, student, and the school community from bullying and harassment.”
She said Montgomery County schoolteachers brought concerns to the union, which assisted in bringing those complaints to the attention of school leaders.
“Unfortunately, MCPS leaders chose to dismiss or ignore the pleas of our members and the compelling evidence we provided,” Martin said.
The statement went on to say, “We are proud of our members’ courage in coming forward to report the purported abuse. It is unfortunate that MCEA members must bring such serious allegations to the media for MCPS to take them seriously.”
In a letter to students, staff and families at Farquhar Middle School — where Beidleman most recently served as principal — MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight said the allegations “have been beyond troubling to me personally and professionally.”
She said the investigation carried out by the law firm will thoroughly review the school system’s policies and procedures related to harassment, bullying and retaliation “to ensure that they are robust, up-to-date, and effectively enforced.”
The letter went on to say, “As superintendent, a mother, a former teacher, and a middle school principal, I am concerned on multiple levels. I know the importance of building a community of learners with engaged students and staff; this requires trust to be earned and leadership to demonstrate nurturing support and attention to each individual.”
Counseling services were offered at the school Tuesday by the county’s Department of Health and Human Services, McKnight said.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
