For Immediate Release: Friday, December 1, 2023
From the Office of Councilmember Will Jawando
Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (At-Large), chair of the Education and Culture (EC) Committee, released the following statement related to the Office of Inspector General's (OIG) investigation of misconduct allegations against Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Principal Dr. Joel Beidleman.
"I applaud the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for conducting a thorough investigation and appreciate the individuals who submitted information or participated in interviews with the OIG. The report released today substantiates the allegations against Principal Joel Beidleman and the hostile work environment he created. In addition, the OIG identified areas where MCPS leadership failed to be more proactive in addressing behavior that clearly violated established policies for employee conduct.
"As chair of the Education and Culture Committee, we will be following up on this report with the Board of Education and MCPS leadership through oversight hearings in the coming months. The OIG is completing an additional investigation into the policies and procedures related to promotions.
"Rebuilding trust and repairing the harm that teachers and students have experienced will take time. I am committed to ensuring MCPS implements new policies with fidelity and accountability along with better communication to the school community."
The full report, which was released today, can be viewed here.
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Release ID: 23-398