MOCO BOE update: Beidleman Report summary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The latest article from The Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/09/21/inspector-general-mcps-beidleman-farquhar/

The paragraph in there with feedback from MCPS staff that they were wary of talking to Jackson Lewis but will fully cooperate with the IG's office because they perceive it to be actually independent, basically renders Jackson Lewis's report worthless. If staff were (rightfully) leery of talking to them, their findings are a charade. Not that we didn't know this the second the conflict of interest became clear, but this just puts it into focus. Hopefully the IG's office will get the real lay of the land and staff will feel more comfortable to be honest with them.

What a sick system. The whole feckless BOE needs to go, and McKnight and her cronies.

Based on what exactly? I get that you say these things over and over every single day but you never have any actual evidence that the BOE had any role in this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As even this case demonstrates, problems of ignoring sexual harassment complaints and misconduct by MCPS staff have been around for years. The Board of Education wrote a Code of Conduct that gave the framework for dealing with problem employees but there was never any enforcement to give it teeth. Every school administrator and every Central Office Administrator runs a high probability that they have equally been complicit when employees, parents and students have filed complaints.

Remember the MeToo complaints regarding a teacher at Blair high school? The Washington Post broke that story as well. It maddening that Beidleman is not the first and only case where his misconduct was broadly ignore.

The Board bares responsibility. The Superintendent bares responsibility. However, so do many of the Principals and Administrators in Central Office.

Accountability must start at the top, with the current leadership. If Josh Starr and Jack Smith allowed this to go on, the reports should say that too, especially with respect to the former because he still presents himself as a trustworthy expert.

I would happily take back Dr. Starr. I know many principals who would, too. That old adage, be careful what you wish for. But regardless, he left eleven years ago, stay focused.

Right. Starr happily knew John Vigna was sexually abusing little 7 year old girls in his classroom and left him there.
Starr was notified in writing and that letter was evidence in Vigna’s trial. It is a fact.

But who cares about children being sexually abused?

This doesn't sound right. Can you point to any credible news outlets that corroborate this?

[Anonymous]

You've been saying the same thing for years here. Obviously others don't blame him the way you do. This is how you undermine the current issue at hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As even this case demonstrates, problems of ignoring sexual harassment complaints and misconduct by MCPS staff have been around for years. The Board of Education wrote a Code of Conduct that gave the framework for dealing with problem employees but there was never any enforcement to give it teeth. Every school administrator and every Central Office Administrator runs a high probability that they have equally been complicit when employees, parents and students have filed complaints.

Remember the MeToo complaints regarding a teacher at Blair high school? The Washington Post broke that story as well. It maddening that Beidleman is not the first and only case where his misconduct was broadly ignore.

The Board bares responsibility. The Superintendent bares responsibility. However, so do many of the Principals and Administrators in Central Office.

Accountability must start at the top, with the current leadership. If Josh Starr and Jack Smith allowed this to go on, the reports should say that too, especially with respect to the former because he still presents himself as a trustworthy expert.

Accountability must be applied to all administrators that allowed the practice of ignoring sexual harassment and bullying to proliferate. Many knew of the complaints with Beidleman over 6 years. Many know of other similar cases. There’s a lot of soulless administrators running our schools and in Central Office.

I completely agree with you. MCPS lacks accountability, everything from budgets to SH and how they handled it.

I forget who was running for Board of Education, who kept preaching that Montgomery county needed an independent investigator for budget audits but I also think it’s relevant to this. When you have an organization that hides and lacks transparency you have issues ranging from missing money to cover up of sexual harassment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As even this case demonstrates, problems of ignoring sexual harassment complaints and misconduct by MCPS staff have been around for years. The Board of Education wrote a Code of Conduct that gave the framework for dealing with problem employees but there was never any enforcement to give it teeth. Every school administrator and every Central Office Administrator runs a high probability that they have equally been complicit when employees, parents and students have filed complaints.

Remember the MeToo complaints regarding a teacher at Blair high school? The Washington Post broke that story as well. It maddening that Beidleman is not the first and only case where his misconduct was broadly ignore.

The Board bares responsibility. The Superintendent bares responsibility. However, so do many of the Principals and Administrators in Central Office.

Accountability must start at the top, with the current leadership. If Josh Starr and Jack Smith allowed this to go on, the reports should say that too, especially with respect to the former because he still presents himself as a trustworthy expert.

Accountability must be applied to all administrators that allowed the practice of ignoring sexual harassment and bullying to proliferate. Many knew of the complaints with Beidleman over 6 years. Many know of other similar cases. There’s a lot of soulless administrators running our schools and in Central Office.

I completely agree with you. MCPS lacks accountability, everything from budgets to SH and how they handled it.

I forget who was running for Board of Education, who kept preaching that Montgomery county needed an independent investigator for budget audits but I also think it’s relevant to this. When you have an organization that hides and lacks transparency you have issues ranging from missing money to cover up of sexual harassment.

Seems like they are holding people accountable. Not sure what you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As even this case demonstrates, problems of ignoring sexual harassment complaints and misconduct by MCPS staff have been around for years. The Board of Education wrote a Code of Conduct that gave the framework for dealing with problem employees but there was never any enforcement to give it teeth. Every school administrator and every Central Office Administrator runs a high probability that they have equally been complicit when employees, parents and students have filed complaints.

Remember the MeToo complaints regarding a teacher at Blair high school? The Washington Post broke that story as well. It maddening that Beidleman is not the first and only case where his misconduct was broadly ignore.

The Board bares responsibility. The Superintendent bares responsibility. However, so do many of the Principals and Administrators in Central Office.

Accountability must start at the top, with the current leadership. If Josh Starr and Jack Smith allowed this to go on, the reports should say that too, especially with respect to the former because he still presents himself as a trustworthy expert.

I would happily take back Dr. Starr. I know many principals who would, too. That old adage, be careful what you wish for. But regardless, he left eleven years ago, stay focused.

Right. Starr happily knew John Vigna was sexually abusing little 7 year old girls in his classroom and left him there.
Starr was notified in writing and that letter was evidence in Vigna’s trial. It is a fact.

But who cares about children being sexually abused?

This doesn't sound right. Can you point to any credible news outlets that corroborate this?

No, only The Washington Post and you don’t think they are credible.

A top district official reprimanded Vigna in 2013, calling his conduct
“indefensible, inappropriate and intolerable.” But the district allowed him
to keep teaching, even though state officials months earlier had warned
that teachers should be removed from contact with students after repeated
and “obvious inappropriate” behavior.

https://wapo.st/3PPDjP2

Read the article. The document sent to Starr is right there.

Actual, witnessed sexual abuse of children was ignored so the predator could go on sexually abusing for years.

[Anonymous]

McKnight had an absolute word salad response to the upcoming IG investigation.

(pasted below)

"at Thursday’s hearing, no board member commented on the probe, while Superintendent Monifa McKnight instead read a proclamation of the board's efforts to combat discrimination of people with disabilities.

"MCPS is committed to promoting a positive caring and supportive district and school climate that promotes the benefits of that includes a diverse workforce that includes individuals with disabilities," McKnight said. "

There it is. The standard playbook. Issue a statement about diversity, inclusion, disability (???) that has absolutely nothing to do with the investigation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McKnight had an absolute word salad response to the upcoming IG investigation.

(pasted below)

"at Thursday’s hearing, no board member commented on the probe, while Superintendent Monifa McKnight instead read a proclamation of the board's efforts to combat discrimination of people with disabilities.

"MCPS is committed to promoting a positive caring and supportive district and school climate that promotes the benefits of that includes a diverse workforce that includes individuals with disabilities," McKnight said. "

There it is. The standard playbook. Issue a statement about diversity, inclusion, disability (???) that has absolutely nothing to do with the investigation.

I don't know which crappy article you copied that text from, but McKnight was reading a memo acknowledging National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which obviously was never intended to have anything to do with the investigation.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/CVNRDX6C80B1/$file/Recognition%20National%20Disability%20Employment%20Awareness%20Month%20230921.pdf


However, McKnight did make a statement about the investigation yesterday, which is quoted in the Post article:

Schools Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight said in a statement Thursday: “While it’s imperative that the Inspector General take the time necessary to conduct a thorough and comprehensive review, I remain eager and ready to take decisive action based on the IG’s findings — including holding anyone implicated in wrongdoing to full account, and developing an aggressive and comprehensive action plan to ensure no one is failed by the system again.”

She continued: “My team and I look forward to being fully cooperative, responsive, and supportive of the IG’s office throughout this investigation, and will take the necessary and subsequent actions to make clear that harassment, bullying, intimidation, and retaliation have absolutely no place in our communities, and especially in the MCPS community.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As even this case demonstrates, problems of ignoring sexual harassment complaints and misconduct by MCPS staff have been around for years. The Board of Education wrote a Code of Conduct that gave the framework for dealing with problem employees but there was never any enforcement to give it teeth. Every school administrator and every Central Office Administrator runs a high probability that they have equally been complicit when employees, parents and students have filed complaints.

Remember the MeToo complaints regarding a teacher at Blair high school? The Washington Post broke that story as well. It maddening that Beidleman is not the first and only case where his misconduct was broadly ignore.

The Board bares responsibility. The Superintendent bares responsibility. However, so do many of the Principals and Administrators in Central Office.

Accountability must start at the top, with the current leadership. If Josh Starr and Jack Smith allowed this to go on, the reports should say that too, especially with respect to the former because he still presents himself as a trustworthy expert.

Accountability must be applied to all administrators that allowed the practice of ignoring sexual harassment and bullying to proliferate. Many knew of the complaints with Beidleman over 6 years. Many know of other similar cases. There’s a lot of soulless administrators running our schools and in Central Office.

I completely agree with you. MCPS lacks accountability, everything from budgets to SH and how they handled it.

I forget who was running for Board of Education, who kept preaching that Montgomery county needed an independent investigator for budget audits but I also think it’s relevant to this. When you have an organization that hides and lacks transparency you have issues ranging from missing money to cover up of sexual harassment.

Seems like they are holding people accountable. Not sure what you're talking about.

If MCPS was holding people accountable then Biedleman would not have been promoted through the system. The Washington Post held them accountable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight had an absolute word salad response to the upcoming IG investigation.

(pasted below)

"at Thursday’s hearing, no board member commented on the probe, while Superintendent Monifa McKnight instead read a proclamation of the board's efforts to combat discrimination of people with disabilities.

"MCPS is committed to promoting a positive caring and supportive district and school climate that promotes the benefits of that includes a diverse workforce that includes individuals with disabilities," McKnight said. "

There it is. The standard playbook. Issue a statement about diversity, inclusion, disability (???) that has absolutely nothing to do with the investigation.

I don't know which crappy article you copied that text from, but McKnight was reading a memo acknowledging National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which obviously was never intended to have anything to do with the investigation.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/CVNRDX6C80B1/$file/Recognition%20National%20Disability%20Employment%20Awareness%20Month%20230921.pdf


However, McKnight did make a statement about the investigation yesterday, which is quoted in the Post article:

Schools Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight said in a statement Thursday: “While it’s imperative that the Inspector General take the time necessary to conduct a thorough and comprehensive review, I remain eager and ready to take decisive action based on the IG’s findings — including holding anyone implicated in wrongdoing to full account, and developing an aggressive and comprehensive action plan to ensure no one is failed by the system again.”

She continued: “My team and I look forward to being fully cooperative, responsive, and supportive of the IG’s office throughout this investigation, and will take the necessary and subsequent actions to make clear that harassment, bullying, intimidation, and retaliation have absolutely no place in our communities, and especially in the MCPS community.”

What great leadership. She basically said she’s going to throw her people to the wolves while pretending she wasn’t responsible for any of this. If the board lets her continue in office, I don’t see why anyone would bother taking responsibility or following rules ever again. This is the last exit before MCPS becomes unsalvageable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight had an absolute word salad response to the upcoming IG investigation.

(pasted below)

"at Thursday’s hearing, no board member commented on the probe, while Superintendent Monifa McKnight instead read a proclamation of the board's efforts to combat discrimination of people with disabilities.

"MCPS is committed to promoting a positive caring and supportive district and school climate that promotes the benefits of that includes a diverse workforce that includes individuals with disabilities," McKnight said. "

There it is. The standard playbook. Issue a statement about diversity, inclusion, disability (???) that has absolutely nothing to do with the investigation.

I don't know which crappy article you copied that text from, but McKnight was reading a memo acknowledging National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which obviously was never intended to have anything to do with the investigation.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/CVNRDX6C80B1/$file/Recognition%20National%20Disability%20Employment%20Awareness%20Month%20230921.pdf


However, McKnight did make a statement about the investigation yesterday, which is quoted in the Post article:

Schools Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight said in a statement Thursday: “While it’s imperative that the Inspector General take the time necessary to conduct a thorough and comprehensive review, I remain eager and ready to take decisive action based on the IG’s findings — including holding anyone implicated in wrongdoing to full account, and developing an aggressive and comprehensive action plan to ensure no one is failed by the system again.”

She continued: “My team and I look forward to being fully cooperative, responsive, and supportive of the IG’s office throughout this investigation, and will take the necessary and subsequent actions to make clear that harassment, bullying, intimidation, and retaliation have absolutely no place in our communities, and especially in the MCPS community.”

I wonder if this will apply to MCPS teachers and MCPS coaches as well. Plenty of cases of sexual harassment and bullying being ignored when complaints were filed against staff members in these ranks as well.

And who is part of Dr. McKnight’s team? People who have a history of ignoring complaints?

[Anonymous]

It's shocking that Elrich is already trotting out the "well this didnt happen on her watch" bit.

Shes been acting or full superintendent for years. Biedleman may have started under Starr, but it certainly continued under her leadership, and he was definitely promoted mere months ago.

[Anonymous]

Ohhhhh. That explains why we should let this guy off the hook. He is not a bully harrasser he just has a disability where he can't control what he says, like torrets or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight had an absolute word salad response to the upcoming IG investigation.

(pasted below)

"at Thursday’s hearing, no board member commented on the probe, while Superintendent Monifa McKnight instead read a proclamation of the board's efforts to combat discrimination of people with disabilities.

"MCPS is committed to promoting a positive caring and supportive district and school climate that promotes the benefits of that includes a diverse workforce that includes individuals with disabilities," McKnight said. "

There it is. The standard playbook. Issue a statement about diversity, inclusion, disability (???) that has absolutely nothing to do with the investigation.

I don't know which crappy article you copied that text from, but McKnight was reading a memo acknowledging National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which obviously was never intended to have anything to do with the investigation.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/CVNRDX6C80B1/$file/Recognition%20National%20Disability%20Employment%20Awareness%20Month%20230921.pdf


However, McKnight did make a statement about the investigation yesterday, which is quoted in the Post article:

Schools Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight said in a statement Thursday: “While it’s imperative that the Inspector General take the time necessary to conduct a thorough and comprehensive review, I remain eager and ready to take decisive action based on the IG’s findings — including holding anyone implicated in wrongdoing to full account, and developing an aggressive and comprehensive action plan to ensure no one is failed by the system again.”

She continued: “My team and I look forward to being fully cooperative, responsive, and supportive of the IG’s office throughout this investigation, and will take the necessary and subsequent actions to make clear that harassment, bullying, intimidation, and retaliation have absolutely no place in our communities, and especially in the MCPS community.”

You mean she gave a statement to the Post. She did not make a public starement at the BOE meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's shocking that Elrich is already trotting out the "well this didnt happen on her watch" bit.

Shes been acting or full superintendent for years. Biedleman may have started under Starr, but it certainly continued under her leadership, and he was definitely promoted mere months ago.

Source? That's disgraceful.