Emergency Legal Filing Seeks to Halt MCPS Plan to Close Wootton High School

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The attorneys representing the Wootton parents are a joke. They’re representing families in Anne Arundel county in a similar case and have bungled every aspect of the litigation. They failed to adequately establish standing in their initial filing and their case got kicked on that basis. A total clown show.

They probably couldn’t find any other attorney.

I’m not sure what the point of hiring an attorney is if they can’t write a complaint that survives a 12b-style motion to dismiss.

Makes them feel like they did something. It will make they new building less sweet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The attorneys representing the Wootton parents are a joke. They’re representing families in Anne Arundel county in a similar case and have bungled every aspect of the litigation. They failed to adequately establish standing in their initial filing and their case got kicked on that basis. A total clown show.

They probably couldn’t find any other attorney.

I’m not sure what the point of hiring an attorney is if they can’t write a complaint that survives a 12b-style motion to dismiss.

Makes them feel like they did something. It will make they new building less sweet

Apparently the AA County folks have racked up a $100k legal bill just litigating the standing issue.

[Anonymous]

Is there anywhere where one can read the actual filing? I haven't been able to find it - only articles or press releases about it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a relocation and one section of Wootton parents are upset because it adds in Gaithersburg schools and they are afraid that will bring down the school as a whole while also decreasing property values. That is the whole scuttlebutt, nothing more to it!

this .. in a nutshell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there anywhere where one can read the actual filing? I haven't been able to find it - only articles or press releases about it

I wish I knew how. Supposedly, the filing was filed March 31st, but CEPA didn't release a press release until this week, and every news article is basically a re-write / summation of that release without a link to the full filing.

When the State BoE rules, they post their decision on their website, so that's where I've been doing my light research on how other appeals have faired.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Seems like some are legitimately concerned about the process (is it closing Wootton or just moving everyone and combining them with others to form a new school - Crown), especially as we look ahead to the ES boundary study. Seems likely that will have school closures and we should all hope that will be done following the proper process.

If it weren’t for the ES boundary study coming up, I might agree that the parkway parents are just being over the top. But I think we need to sort out the process now, or MCPS could take shortcuts with ES school closures countywide.

Is this an area where the BOE could step in and adopt new policies that make process clear?

Yup, MCPS BoE is the final authority and the ones who approve any changes to Policy FAA. As written, it's pretty vague.

They could also adjust timelines, require the superintendent do another round of feedback etc without having to change the policy at all.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/faa.pdf

That would be the smart move to head off a lawsuit. It would mean the plaintiffs will not have exhausted their administrative remedies under BOE regulations.

No, because plaintiffs are always allowed to submit an appeal to the BoE even if MCPS follows all their procedures correctly, which as far as I can tell they did, and nobody has posted a clear-cut violation of policy FAA.

I've yet to see a ruling against a local board because the state board always defers to the local board unless the decision is arbitrary, illegal, or unreasonable.

Taylor has burned some credibility with the MD BOE over his EV bus contract.

Taylor wasn't superintendent when that contract was made.

That's no excuse. Did he do anything to stop the previous superintendents? Did he even try to build a time machine?

Be my friend

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there anywhere where one can read the actual filing? I haven't been able to find it - only articles or press releases about it

I wish I knew how. Supposedly, the filing was filed March 31st, but CEPA didn't release a press release until this week, and every news article is basically a re-write / summation of that release without a link to the full filing.

When the State BoE rules, they post their decision on their website, so that's where I've been doing my light research on how other appeals have faired.

There has never been a successful BOE appeal of a county redistricting decision.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Way to go Wooton families. Make MCPs spend a ton of money on legal fees so now all school have less resources, and less staffing and less money to spend on OUR kids. Do you have any idea what long term mold issues look like?? Oh but wait… your property values will MAYBE remain the same so who gives an f about the long term health ramifications.

Legal challenges aren’t about “taking money from kids”—they’re about making sure big decisions are made correctly and transparently, and if the process was sound it should hold up. No one is saying building issues or things like mold should be ignored; the question is whether relocating an entire school is the right fix or whether those problems should be addressed directly. And reducing everything to property values just sidesteps the reality that people can care about building conditions, good planning, and community impact all at the same time.

Based on your logic, no legal challenges to ANY government decisions should ever be made because the government would have to spend tax dollars to defend itself. I guess the indigent shouldn’t get public defenders for criminal cases because those cost tax dollars too.

Of course there should be the option of legal recourse when someone is at risk of losing their freedom or a basic human right. No such thing is occurring in this issue-your right to public education is being upheld.

So the government can break the law as it pleases if you agree with the outcome? MCPS must follow the law. You might believe that it has, but that’s not up to you.

Just because the Parkway parents didn't like the process or the outcome also doesn't mean MCPS didn't follow the law.

The two claims in the emergency filing are weak, but maybe they're saving up the actual good arguments for the lawsuit when this filing is denied?

So let the process play out. Btw, this situation likely wouldn’t exist if MCPS had done things in a more transparent way, so it only has itself to blame.

Of course it would still exist because fundamentally Parkway families are upset about the outcome, not the process.

No I’m genuinely upset about the process. I’m not thrilled with the outcome but if MCPS had done it the right way, I wouldn’t be this pissed. Instead, they chose to lie and gaslit the whole community

You want us to believe that? Did you just start paying attention in December or something?