Breaking News: Starr Ditches Child Abuse Work Group, BOE to Take No Action on Sexual Abuse of Students

On December 9, 2014, the Montgomery County Council's Education Committee announced that they would be holding a "worksession" on February 2, 2015, on MCPS policies and procedures regarding child abuse allegations that occur on school property.

In response to that announcement, the Board of Education (BOE) quickly added an Agenda Item for their January 13, 2015, meeting.  The Agenda item is titled "Child Abuse and Neglect Work Group."  Superintendent Joshua Starr  released a memo on Friday, January 9th titled "Update on Child Abuse and Neglect Work Group." 

This will be the first time that the BOE discusses the issue of sexual abuse of students by MCPS staff members in 27 years.

From the headings on the Agenda and memo, it sounds "as if" the memo from Superintendent Starr to the BOE will include the work of the Child Abuse Work Group, doesn't it?  But don't be fooled. 

Superintendent Starr's memo is attached to another memo from just TWO MCPS ADMINISTRATORS!  MCPS administrators Andrew Zuckerman and Debra Berner wrote the attached memo all by themselves.

In fact, the "Child Abuse and Neglect Work Group" only got to see this memo for the first time on Monday, January 5th, and the Work Group only had time to go over the first page.  

The Child Abuse and Neglect Work Group has not produced a memo to the BOE and has not concluded their work.

In addition, the Board of Education Agenda item for January 13th shows that the BOE will not be taking any action to update out of date BOE Policies or address the 16 arrests of MCPS staff, substitutes and contractors that have taken place in the last 3 years.

BOE Policies are 27 years out of date and still no action from the Montgomery County Board of Education to protect students from sexual abuse by staff, substitutes or contractors, even after 16 arrests in the last 3 years.