Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has launched an independent investigation into how sexual harassment allegations against a school principal were handled, after an investigation by the Washington Post discovered that the director was promoted despite years of complaints.
At a meeting in June, the Montgomery County School Board unanimously approved Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman for promotion. The promotion allowed him to become principal of Paint Branch High School.
“Dr. Beidleman is looking forward to serving the Paint Branch community, where his experiences will add value to the community he is so eager to serve,” said a chairperson at the meeting.
The promotion went ahead despite the fact that, according to that Washington Post investigation, Beidleman had been accused by various staff members of sexual harassment and harassment over the years.
“Members decided it was time to escalate and look outside of MCPS for help,” said Jennifer Martin, head of the county teachers’ union.
That led to the Post’s investigation, which details more than a dozen complaints.
MCPS has since withdrawn Beidleman’s promotion and placed him on administrative leave. The school system has hired a law firm to independently investigate the allegations and how he was able to advance to a job with a salary close to $200,000.
The firm will also investigate how MCPS handled the complaints filed against Beidleman.
“The scope of these allegations requires swift action to independently and objectively investigate, to gather all information, and then take appropriate action to ensure any issues are promptly addressed,” MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight said in a statement. a statement.
For some members of the teachers’ union, the investigation is behind schedule.
“I would say that our members feel that it is time that their concerns are taken seriously,” Martin said.
The investigation has also caught the attention of County Executive Marc Elrich.
“Did the school system conduct complaint reviews before promoting this principal?” Elrich asked.
Meanwhile, Borough Council President Evan Glass wants the education committee to hold an oversight hearing this fall.
“Knowing that there was a predatory principal, who was working with all these people and creating a hostile work environment, is not the kind of situation that we want in any of our schools, or frankly in any of our workplaces here in the county. of Montgomery,” he said.
The teachers union hopes the investigation will lead to reforms in how complaints are handled and how administrators are disciplined.
News4 was unable to reach Beidleman for comment, but the Post reported that the editor denied each of the allegations in “a lengthy written response to questions” from the newspaper.
