Washington Post article about Former Farquhar Administrator

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote to the BOE. Let's everyone write to BOE. They are responsible for oversight and direction over MCPS and have the authority to take action. Let's use the Beidleman case as the tip of the iceberg - we keep reading in this forum thread that teachers who filed complaints in other cases are blown off and faced retaliation - so he is a symptom of a more systemic problem. Demand independent investigation, not an employer-selected firm. Demand that the BOE carry out its oversight responsibilities including robust follow-up after the facts are known. Demand that the BOE be transparent about the scope and how it will carry out its oversight, as well as making public its findings and follow-up actions. These are reasonable and fundamental demands they can agree on. Do it today!

The BOE has reviewed and ignored similar cases of sexual harassment and bullying. Sometimes the victims were teachers. Sometimes the victims were students. They are complacent in ignoring serious complaints and the retaliation that occurs when a victim files a complaint.

Read the appeal process. Complaints are addressed in closed session by the Board. The victim doesn’t even have the right to be present. At most they can request an in person hearing but can be turned down by the board. The victim’s voice is silenced in their discussion while MCPS sends staff to speak behind victim’s backs in the closed session.

You are spot on. The board is a puppet, and the superintendent is the puppeteer.

When you appeal to the Board of Education, you can request a hearing, but the board will almost always deny it. They will then make an unfair decision which you cannot challenge in person. When you appeal to the State Board of Education, it's the same. You can request a hearing, but they will almost always deny it. The State Board will rubberstamp the County Board's decision.

If you persist and appeal to the Circuit Court, the judge has to have a hearing. But the judge is so reluctant to overturn the State Board's decision that they will always find a way to deny your appeal (they have all kinds of discretion).

The person who calls the shots in this whole process is the superintendent. That's how the administrative/judicial system works in Maryland.

If what you say is true, then how the hell did Joshua Starr get defanged and dethroned so easily by the board?

I wasn't around when Starr was here, so I can't say about that situation.

What I described is the administrative appeal process when a regular person appeals to the school system, the county BOE, the state BOE, the circuit court... All these entities work together, not independently or fairly. Don't expect much from the Maryland State Board of Education or the courts. The process is not designed to find the truth. The process is designed to protect the powerful.

This case may be different because the Washington Post is on it, but most of the time, the appeal process is a sham.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that maybe 100 people care about this out of a million people. The CO knows this and also knows that they don’t have to do anything except get a report that exonerates them.

Sorry, Joel and Monica. I know that's what you like to think but not this time.

I don’t think she cares since they are divorced. You all need to get a life.

[Anonymous]

Ethics is seriously lacking in MCPS, the Board of Education, and the County Council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote to the BOE. Let's everyone write to BOE. They are responsible for oversight and direction over MCPS and have the authority to take action. Let's use the Beidleman case as the tip of the iceberg - we keep reading in this forum thread that teachers who filed complaints in other cases are blown off and faced retaliation - so he is a symptom of a more systemic problem. Demand independent investigation, not an employer-selected firm. Demand that the BOE carry out its oversight responsibilities including robust follow-up after the facts are known. Demand that the BOE be transparent about the scope and how it will carry out its oversight, as well as making public its findings and follow-up actions. These are reasonable and fundamental demands they can agree on. Do it today!

The BOE has reviewed and ignored similar cases of sexual harassment and bullying. Sometimes the victims were teachers. Sometimes the victims were students. They are complacent in ignoring serious complaints and the retaliation that occurs when a victim files a complaint.

Read the appeal process. Complaints are addressed in closed session by the Board. The victim doesn’t even have the right to be present. At most they can request an in person hearing but can be turned down by the board. The victim’s voice is silenced in their discussion while MCPS sends staff to speak behind victim’s backs in the closed session.

The President of the BOE has expressed that she doesn't like getting involved in personnel matters that should be handled by HR. This was said before the Beidleman story broke though, so she might feel differently now that there's media attention on the issue.

This is actually an appropriate stance. The board is not HR for the district. Should they request an outside investigation of whether CO and MCPS policy was violated, sure. But they should not be directly involved in what goes on w/ Beidleman or any other employee besides potentially some of the Chiefs and the Super.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote to the BOE. Let's everyone write to BOE. They are responsible for oversight and direction over MCPS and have the authority to take action. Let's use the Beidleman case as the tip of the iceberg - we keep reading in this forum thread that teachers who filed complaints in other cases are blown off and faced retaliation - so he is a symptom of a more systemic problem. Demand independent investigation, not an employer-selected firm. Demand that the BOE carry out its oversight responsibilities including robust follow-up after the facts are known. Demand that the BOE be transparent about the scope and how it will carry out its oversight, as well as making public its findings and follow-up actions. These are reasonable and fundamental demands they can agree on. Do it today!

The BOE has reviewed and ignored similar cases of sexual harassment and bullying. Sometimes the victims were teachers. Sometimes the victims were students. They are complacent in ignoring serious complaints and the retaliation that occurs when a victim files a complaint.

Read the appeal process. Complaints are addressed in closed session by the Board. The victim doesn’t even have the right to be present. At most they can request an in person hearing but can be turned down by the board. The victim’s voice is silenced in their discussion while MCPS sends staff to speak behind victim’s backs in the closed session.

You are spot on. The board is a puppet, and the superintendent is the puppeteer.

When you appeal to the Board of Education, you can request a hearing, but the board will almost always deny it. They will then make an unfair decision which you cannot challenge in person. When you appeal to the State Board of Education, it's the same. You can request a hearing, but they will almost always deny it. The State Board will rubberstamp the County Board's decision.

If you persist and appeal to the Circuit Court, the judge has to have a hearing. But the judge is so reluctant to overturn the State Board's decision that they will always find a way to deny your appeal (they have all kinds of discretion).

The person who calls the shots in this whole process is the superintendent. That's how the administrative/judicial system works in Maryland.

If what you say is true, then how the hell did Joshua Starr get defanged and dethroned so easily by the board?

I wasn't around when Starr was here, so I can't say about that situation.

What I described is the administrative appeal process when a regular person appeals to the school system, the county BOE, the state BOE, the circuit court... All these entities work together, not independently or fairly. Don't expect much from the Maryland State Board of Education or the courts. The process is not designed to find the truth. The process is designed to protect the powerful.

This case may be different because the Washington Post is on it, but most of the time, the appeal process is a sham.

This. Dealt with this crew for some other issue and realized back then how corrupt they are. They all protect one another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ethics is seriously lacking in MCPS, the Board of Education, and the County Council.

+1 this whole situation is a disgrace, I can't take any of these people seriously ever again

[Anonymous]

Luedtke and Glass ask IGs to take over the investigation:

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/21/luedtke-and-glass-request-ig-investigation-of-mcps-scandal/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote to the BOE. Let's everyone write to BOE. They are responsible for oversight and direction over MCPS and have the authority to take action. Let's use the Beidleman case as the tip of the iceberg - we keep reading in this forum thread that teachers who filed complaints in other cases are blown off and faced retaliation - so he is a symptom of a more systemic problem. Demand independent investigation, not an employer-selected firm. Demand that the BOE carry out its oversight responsibilities including robust follow-up after the facts are known. Demand that the BOE be transparent about the scope and how it will carry out its oversight, as well as making public its findings and follow-up actions. These are reasonable and fundamental demands they can agree on. Do it today!

The BOE has reviewed and ignored similar cases of sexual harassment and bullying. Sometimes the victims were teachers. Sometimes the victims were students. They are complacent in ignoring serious complaints and the retaliation that occurs when a victim files a complaint.

Read the appeal process. Complaints are addressed in closed session by the Board. The victim doesn’t even have the right to be present. At most they can request an in person hearing but can be turned down by the board. The victim’s voice is silenced in their discussion while MCPS sends staff to speak behind victim’s backs in the closed session.

The President of the BOE has expressed that she doesn't like getting involved in personnel matters that should be handled by HR. This was said before the Beidleman story broke though, so she might feel differently now that there's media attention on the issue.

This is actually an appropriate stance. The board is not HR for the district. Should they request an outside investigation of whether CO and MCPS policy was violated, sure. But they should not be directly involved in what goes on w/ Beidleman or any other employee besides potentially some of the Chiefs and the Super.

Wrong, so wrong.

MCPS is supposed to be accountable to the Board. The victims have a right for an impartial appeal where the Board considers their complaint.

18 complaints reporting similar sexual harassment and bullying didn’t keep this man from promotions. Central Office didn’t even put him on leave until the Washington Post broke the story. The Board was sent emails from victims that were ignored.

Everyone in MCPS and the Board who ignored the complaints (including staff who screened emails) should resign or be fired. Clean house of the individuals who didn’t think of these women as people who deserved to be protected. WTH is wrong with people who thinks treating employees like the victims were is ok?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Luedtke and Glass ask IGs to take over the investigation:

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/21/luedtke-and-glass-request-ig-investigation-of-mcps-scandal/

Thank you to Luedtke and Glass! I hope MCPS will halt their investigation and turn everything to the IGs. Time for an independent investigation that MCPS cannot control the outcome.

No one trusts a school system that ignored such awful conduct of a Principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote to the BOE. Let's everyone write to BOE. They are responsible for oversight and direction over MCPS and have the authority to take action. Let's use the Beidleman case as the tip of the iceberg - we keep reading in this forum thread that teachers who filed complaints in other cases are blown off and faced retaliation - so he is a symptom of a more systemic problem. Demand independent investigation, not an employer-selected firm. Demand that the BOE carry out its oversight responsibilities including robust follow-up after the facts are known. Demand that the BOE be transparent about the scope and how it will carry out its oversight, as well as making public its findings and follow-up actions. These are reasonable and fundamental demands they can agree on. Do it today!

The BOE has reviewed and ignored similar cases of sexual harassment and bullying. Sometimes the victims were teachers. Sometimes the victims were students. They are complacent in ignoring serious complaints and the retaliation that occurs when a victim files a complaint.

Read the appeal process. Complaints are addressed in closed session by the Board. The victim doesn’t even have the right to be present. At most they can request an in person hearing but can be turned down by the board. The victim’s voice is silenced in their discussion while MCPS sends staff to speak behind victim’s backs in the closed session.

You are spot on. The board is a puppet, and the superintendent is the puppeteer.

When you appeal to the Board of Education, you can request a hearing, but the board will almost always deny it. They will then make an unfair decision which you cannot challenge in person. When you appeal to the State Board of Education, it's the same. You can request a hearing, but they will almost always deny it. The State Board will rubberstamp the County Board's decision.

If you persist and appeal to the Circuit Court, the judge has to have a hearing. But the judge is so reluctant to overturn the State Board's decision that they will always find a way to deny your appeal (they have all kinds of discretion).

The person who calls the shots in this whole process is the superintendent. That's how the administrative/judicial system works in Maryland.

If what you say is true, then how the hell did Joshua Starr get defanged and dethroned so easily by the board?

I wasn't around when Starr was here, so I can't say about that situation.

What I described is the administrative appeal process when a regular person appeals to the school system, the county BOE, the state BOE, the circuit court... All these entities work together, not independently or fairly. Don't expect much from the Maryland State Board of Education or the courts. The process is not designed to find the truth. The process is designed to protect the powerful.

This case may be different because the Washington Post is on it, but most of the time, the appeal process is a sham.

This. Dealt with this crew for some other issue and realized back then how corrupt they are. They all protect one another.

+1 Such cronyism allows sexual harassment and bullying by MCPS staff to flourish in MCPS. There’s no consequences and victims who complain are retaliated. Everyone up the chain of command and on the Board are to blame for allowing this level of misconduct by a Principal. Shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote to the BOE. Let's everyone write to BOE. They are responsible for oversight and direction over MCPS and have the authority to take action. Let's use the Beidleman case as the tip of the iceberg - we keep reading in this forum thread that teachers who filed complaints in other cases are blown off and faced retaliation - so he is a symptom of a more systemic problem. Demand independent investigation, not an employer-selected firm. Demand that the BOE carry out its oversight responsibilities including robust follow-up after the facts are known. Demand that the BOE be transparent about the scope and how it will carry out its oversight, as well as making public its findings and follow-up actions. These are reasonable and fundamental demands they can agree on. Do it today!

The BOE has reviewed and ignored similar cases of sexual harassment and bullying. Sometimes the victims were teachers. Sometimes the victims were students. They are complacent in ignoring serious complaints and the retaliation that occurs when a victim files a complaint.

Read the appeal process. Complaints are addressed in closed session by the Board. The victim doesn’t even have the right to be present. At most they can request an in person hearing but can be turned down by the board. The victim’s voice is silenced in their discussion while MCPS sends staff to speak behind victim’s backs in the closed session.

The President of the BOE has expressed that she doesn't like getting involved in personnel matters that should be handled by HR. This was said before the Beidleman story broke though, so she might feel differently now that there's media attention on the issue.

This is actually an appropriate stance. The board is not HR for the district. Should they request an outside investigation of whether CO and MCPS policy was violated, sure. But they should not be directly involved in what goes on w/ Beidleman or any other employee besides potentially some of the Chiefs and the Super.

If he harassed staff, he could have students as well. They should be involved and he should be terminated. No need to may that kind of money on an investigation.

[Anonymous]

If the BOE is receiving credible complaints that abusive employees are being protected, they should absolutely ask questions, investigate/seek an investigation into policies and practices for responding to sexual harassment, sexual abuse and bullying complaints . But as far as we can tell they have done nothing and continue to do nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Luedtke and Glass ask IGs to take over the investigation:

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/21/luedtke-and-glass-request-ig-investigation-of-mcps-scandal/

Thank you to Luedtke and Glass! I hope MCPS will halt their investigation and turn everything to the IGs. Time for an independent investigation that MCPS cannot control the outcome.

No one trusts a school system that ignored such awful conduct of a Principal.

This is a great start! I wish other council members had signed the letter (ok maybe not Jawando for the reasons already mentioned).

I don’t like the idea of lawsuits but if that’s what it takes to change what is clearly a toxic culture at MCPS, then so be it. I hope the teachers sue and help bring about the needed changes to restore trust and accountability. My heart goes out to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote to the BOE. Let's everyone write to BOE. They are responsible for oversight and direction over MCPS and have the authority to take action. Let's use the Beidleman case as the tip of the iceberg - we keep reading in this forum thread that teachers who filed complaints in other cases are blown off and faced retaliation - so he is a symptom of a more systemic problem. Demand independent investigation, not an employer-selected firm. Demand that the BOE carry out its oversight responsibilities including robust follow-up after the facts are known. Demand that the BOE be transparent about the scope and how it will carry out its oversight, as well as making public its findings and follow-up actions. These are reasonable and fundamental demands they can agree on. Do it today!

The BOE has reviewed and ignored similar cases of sexual harassment and bullying. Sometimes the victims were teachers. Sometimes the victims were students. They are complacent in ignoring serious complaints and the retaliation that occurs when a victim files a complaint.

Read the appeal process. Complaints are addressed in closed session by the Board. The victim doesn’t even have the right to be present. At most they can request an in person hearing but can be turned down by the board. The victim’s voice is silenced in their discussion while MCPS sends staff to speak behind victim’s backs in the closed session.

The President of the BOE has expressed that she doesn't like getting involved in personnel matters that should be handled by HR. This was said before the Beidleman story broke though, so she might feel differently now that there's media attention on the issue.

This is actually an appropriate stance. The board is not HR for the district. Should they request an outside investigation of whether CO and MCPS policy was violated, sure. But they should not be directly involved in what goes on w/ Beidleman or any other employee besides potentially some of the Chiefs and the Super.

If he harassed staff, he could have students as well. They should be involved and he should be terminated. No need to may that kind of money on an investigation.

What is infuriating is that they clearly have the evidence to fire him, but if they do so immediately they acknowledge their negligence and make it harder to minimize a settlement. So us taxpayers get to pay for:
1. The botched investigation
2. Jackson-Lewis
3. The settlement
4. All the staff that allowed this to happen, most whom will not be fired so we get to pay their salaries for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Luedtke and Glass ask IGs to take over the investigation:

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/21/luedtke-and-glass-request-ig-investigation-of-mcps-scandal/

Thank you to Luedtke and Glass! I hope MCPS will halt their investigation and turn everything to the IGs. Time for an independent investigation that MCPS cannot control the outcome.

No one trusts a school system that ignored such awful conduct of a Principal.

This is a great start! I wish other council members had signed the letter (ok maybe not Jawando for the reasons already mentioned).

I don’t like the idea of lawsuits but if that’s what it takes to change what is clearly a toxic culture at MCPS, then so be it. I hope the teachers sue and help bring about the needed changes to restore trust and accountability. My heart goes out to them.

I support a truly independent investigation but it doesn't seem like it will change anything. In a perfect world, the Council would refuse to fund MCPS above MOE until they clean up their shop, but they will absolutely not do this.

County or district officials frequently audit local school districts in Maryland. On top of that, the state Office of Legislative Audits reviews the books of each school district once every six years, whereas the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education takes complaints from the public and investigates them.

But audits, while helpful, can only identify problems. It is up to the districts to implement solutions — and often they don’t. The Office of Legislative Audits released an audit of the Maryland State Department of Education in January. Auditors found 171 repeated findings that local school systems had yet to address from previous audits.

https://moco360.media/2023/08/22/audits-show-trouble-lurking-in-school-contracts/