MCPS and Vulnerable Families

A tragedy recently occurred in Kensington, Maryland. Local media reported that Margaret Jensvold, a psychiatrist, murdered her son Benjamin (who was reportedly diagnosed with Apersger's Syndrome) and then committed suicide. Dr. Jensvold's ex-husband told the Gazette:

Benjamin had complained he was picked on and bullied at Hoover Middle School, but Montgomery County Public Schools would not cover the expense of sending Benjamin to Ivymount, something Barnhard said could have led to Jensvold’s breakdown.
“She was frustrated and devastated by what was happening with the school system and the rejection of the assistance that she needed to get Ben into Ivymount,” he said. “She couldn’t bear to see him face the pain and the torture and the torment that he received [at Hoover].”

An article in the Washington Post contained a similar, sad story:

Bob Baum, who represented Jensvold in her divorce, said his client was constantly fighting with the public school system over her son’s education.

“She had just this list of horror stories about how they would have IEP meetings and they wouldn’t invite her. If she would come to a meeting, they wouldn’t let her talk,” Baum said. “There’s probably nothing more frustrating in her life than dealing with Montgomery County public schools.”

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This tragedy has hit way too close to home for many reasons. Fifteen years ago, I saw Dr. Jensvold, who helped me manage the post-traumatic stress of our own dispute and due process hearing with MCPS over our son's placement. Luckily, back in 1995, we prevailed, and our son with autism was subsequently enrolled at Ivymount School, where he spent the next 14 years. But the stresses back in 1995 didn't have anything to do with the fact that our son had autism: it was a direct result of shitty treatment by the MCPS administrators who had never laid eyes on our child.

Instead of helping us, MCPS threw obstacles in our path, denied information to us, denied listed IEP services to our son, lied to us, lied to the hearing examiner, and finally admitted that they "knew at the time when they didn't have staff that they would not be able to provide the services" that our child needed.

The hellish treatment that MCPS put our family through, and has put other families through for the past 15 years has been the direct cause of my determination to be an advocate for other families embroiled in the same nightmare, and played a large part in both my husband's and my decision to run for Board of Education. I have known and represented too many families that MCPS has pushed to the breaking point, and can say with first hand knowledge that some of those families have been irretrievably broken. Families of children with severe disabilities are vulnerable, and you can't predict how they will react if they are kicked when they are down. Our family reacted by fighting back. Unfortunately Dr. Jensvold reacted in a tragic, tragic way.

During my 15 years of advocacy for special education families, I would have to say that the overwhelming majority of folks working in special education are kind, caring, and want to do the right thing. But the decisions aren't always made by people in special education, or even people who have first-hand knowledge of the child. The MCPS budget director, for example, has on multiple occasions stated that he views special education litigation against families as a deterrent to keep other families from requesting what their children need. And certainly long-timers remember when MCPS's senior attorney went to a national conference and mocked Montgomery County special education children and families.

It only takes a few mean-spirited people, or people more interested in getting the next promotion up the MCPS ladder than in serving disabled children, to cause damage to families that will take years to heal. Unfortunately, this Kensington family won't get that chance. Dr. Jensvold was ultimately responsible for her own actions, but let's not deny the role that this family's disputes with MCPS may have played.