Allegations that Joel Beidleman engaged in sexual harassment while serving as the principal of Farquhar Middle School in Olney, Maryland, have been substantiated by the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General.
An investigation supported allegations that “Beidleman made repeated comments about the appearance of female subordinates, directed offensive comments and jokes of a sexual nature at subordinates, bullied subordinates, and had a sexual relationship with a subordinate over whom he had supervisory responsibility,” according to a Friday news release from the Office of Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi.
The inspector general’s office also released an eight-page memo laying out the findings of the investigation.
Beidleman had been promoted to run Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville in June. He was placed on leave by Montgomery County Public Schools in August, after The Washington Post unearthed a slew of complaints against him that had been submitted to the school district over the past seven years.
“Beidleman’s behavior created an environment where some staff members reported being afraid to disagree with him on professional matters, worried about their job security, and felt intimidated and disrespected. Beidleman’s conduct violated MCPS’s sexual harassment and workplace bullying policies, and MCPS’s Employee Code of Conduct,” Limarzi’s office said in the release.
One complainant told the OIG about a time she encountered Beidleman at Farquhar and he said, “Wow girl, you lost weight. Look at you. Give it a turn, let me check out the backside,” to which she responded, “No!” and Beidleman appeared to think it was funny. The same complainant said Beidleman always “talked to our breasts,” according to the inspector general’s office.
Other complainants who were part of the investigation said Beidleman made sexually offensive comments to subordinates at events outside the school environment. One woman told the OIG that Beidleman approached her at a 2021 end of school year party at the home of another employee and essentially asked whether she and her husband engaged in anal sex.
She said Beidleman kept making comments about her body and asking about the type of personal relationship she and her husband had, Limarzi’s office said. Another Farquhar employee who was there told the OIG they heard Beidleman make the comments.
The results of the inspector general investigation have been referred to Montgomery County Public School’s superintendent, who released a statement Friday.
“The investigative report about Dr. Joel Beidleman released today by the Montgomery County Inspector General clearly and professionally documents years of disturbing and egregious behavior,” Superintendent Monifa McKnight said in a statement.
“As I’ve said since this issue came to our attention this summer, I will take swift, decisive action based on investigative findings. Now that the OIG has referred this matter to me, I am moving forward without delay to ensure that wrongdoing is held to full account,” McKnight said.
In a statement, Chair of the Montgomery County Council’s Education and Culture Committee Will Jawando said oversight hearings will be conducted in the coming months with the county’s board of education and MCPS leadership to follow up on Friday’s report.
The new findings are from the first of two OIG investigations connected to Beidleman. The second probe — a review of MCPS’ process for receiving and responding to misconduct allegations — is still ongoing.
In September, a law firm hired by the school district found that county leaders knew Beidleman was under investigation for possible sexual harassment when they promoted him to become the principal of Paint Branch High School.
“Key decision makers did not exercise enough diligence to ascertain important details about the investigation,” the September report from Baltimore-based law firm Jackson Lewis said.
The next month, MCPS announced a change to its promotions process saying administrators would no longer be considered for promotions while they’re under investigation. The school system will also require what it considers to be a robust, multifaceted background check before a preliminary recommendation for appointment to a new role is made.
A former teacher at Farquhar Middle School has sued the school district, saying she was subjected to Beidleman’s harassment for years and that the school tried to cover it up.
WTOP’s Scott Gelman and Kyle Cooper contributed to this report.
