Former school athletic director gets 4 months in jail in racist AI deepfake case

BALTIMORE (AP) — A former high school athletics director accused of using artificial intelligence to create a racist and antisemitic deepfake of a Maryland principal has been sentenced to four months in jail as part of a plea deal for disrupting school operations.

Dazhon Darien, 32, accepted the deal Monday in Baltimore County Circuit Court, records show. He entered an Alford plea to the single misdemeanor charge, which means he acknowledged the evidence against him without directly admitting guilt. His original charges included theft, stalking and retaliating against a witness...

https://wtop.com/education/2025/04/former-school-athletic-director-gets-4-months-in-jail-in-racist-ai-deepfake-case/

WAMU: Councilmember Jawando not opposed to having oversight hearings on "disaster" MCPS Electric School Bus Procurement

• 
  On Friday, April 25, 2025, Councilmember Will Jawando, Chair of the County Council's Education Committee, responded to a WAMU Politics Hour's caller question about the MCPS Electric School Bus Procurement and the failure of the Montgomery County Board of Education to comply with a Maryland Appellate Court ORDER to review that procurement award.

•   

• WAMU's transcript of the call and Councilmember Jawando's response is below.  The recording of the question and response can be heard at WAMU's link to the broadcast at minute 44:17.

• 
  

TRANSCRIPT: 

• 
  

• Janice, you're on the air. Go ahead, please.

• Speaker: 600:44:21

  Thank you for taking my call. As with the Trump administration, we're seeing that court orders are not respected by Montgomery County Public Schools. Montgomery County was public schools was ordered in March of [2024] by the Maryland appellate court to review the award of a contract for a $168,000,000 on the electric bus procurement. To date, they have refused. Will the education committee hold oversight hearings on this procurement since the Board of Education has, to date, refused to abide by the court order that is still standing? Thanks. 

• 
  

• Thank you

• Speaker: 400:44:56

  for the call and the question. Good news on the electric bus contract, which was a disaster. I agree with you on that. It, we did receive they did we're able to negotiate the superintendent to get money back for the contract that's not fulfilled. That will be coming back to the system. I agree with you that more needs to be done on the investigation side of, how we move forward and what happened. And I would not be opposed to having those hearings, in the education and culture committee. But the good news is is we're out of the bad contract. We're gonna get money back. And while it's a good goal to green our bus fleet,

• Speaker: 200:45:28

  we need to make sure we're doing it in a responsible way.

 https://wamu.org/story/25/04/25/the-politics-hour-d-c-councilmember-charles-allen-on-the-3-billion-deal-for-a-new-d-c-football-stadium/

Montgomery County Student Charged After Making School Threats

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 17, 2025

Gaithersburg, MD - Detectives from the Community Engagement Division- Behavioral Assessment and Administrative Unit (BAAU) have charged a 17-year-old student after making threats against a Montgomery County Public School.

 

On Tuesday, March 18, Community Engagement officers responded to the location for the report of a school threat received via voicemail.

 

The investigation revealed that the suspect called the school and left a voicemail with threatening language directed towards the principal and various demographic and religious groups.  

 

During the course of the investigation, BAAU detectives identified the male suspect as a 17-year-old MCPS student and charged him with threats of mass violence and a hate crime related to the race/religion of a person/group.

 

Because the suspect is a minor, the case will be handled by the Department of Juvenile Services.

 

At this time, the BAAU has determined there is no credible threat to the community.

 

 

# # #

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail_Pol.aspx?Item_ID=46903

Tell the Council: No Blank Checks for Developers! The County Council votes TOMORROW (4/29/2025) at 10:05 AM

 

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser Tell the Council: No Blank Checks for Developers! County Executive Marc Elrich has vetoed PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes for Developers) Expedited Bill 2-25—and for good reason. Here’s why this bill is a bad deal for residents: Massive Loss of Revenue: The bill gives away 100% of property taxes for 20 years to developers, costing the County hundreds of millions—money desperately needed for schools, infrastructure, and services. No Real Affordable Housing Gains: The bill barely increases affordable housing requirements. It doesn’t require any workforce housing and mostly subsidizes market-rate units. Corporate Giveaway, No Demonstrated Need: Developers would get millions in tax breaks even if they don't need them—with no proof their projects wouldn’t happen without subsidies. Undermines Local Businesses: Instead of revitalizing office spaces through programs like MOVE, the bill incentivizes pushing out businesses from partially occupied buildings. Unfair and Rushed: It rewards some developers while others pay their fair share. Worse, the Council rushed the bill through with minimal public input and no spending cap to protect taxpayers. Call to Action: The County Council votes TOMORROW at 10:05 AM on whether to override the veto. Residents must act now! Email Councilmembers today! Just click on link and tell them: Stand With Residents, Not Developers—Reject the Veto Override! The at-large councilmembers: Councilmember Gabe Albornoz Councilmember Evan Glass Councilmember Will Jawando - The only one to listen to residents and voted NO on PILOT Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles Email and phone here and pasted below Contact Us - Montgomery County Council, Maryland -Not into emails, then call, but be heard, because your voice matters! Name Phone Email Website Gabe Albornoz 240-777-7959 Councilmember.Albornoz@montgomerycountymd.gov Albornoz Website Marilyn Balcombe 240-777-7960 Councilmember.Balcombe@montgomerycountymd.gov Balcombe Website Natali Fani-González 240-777-7870 Councilmember.Fani-Gonzalez@montgomerycountymd.gov Fani-González Website Andrew Friedson 240-777-7828 Councilmember.Friedson@montgomerycountymd.gov Friedson Website Evan Glass 240-777-7966 Councilmember.Glass@montgomerycountymd.gov Glass Website Will Jawando 240-777-7811 Councilmember.Jawando@montgomerycountymd.gov Jawando Website Sidney Katz 240-777-7906 Councilmember.Katz@montgomerycountymd.gov Katz Website Dawn Luedtke 240-777-7860 Councilmember.Luedtke@montgomerycountymd.gov Luedtke Website Kristin Mink 240-777-7955 Councilmember.Mink@montgomerycountymd.gov Mink Website Laurie-Anne Sayles 240-777-7964 Councilmember.Sayles@montgomerycountymd.gov Sayles Website Kate Stewart 240-777-7968 Councilmember.Stewart@montgomerycountymd.gov Stewart Website

Montgomery County’s unneeded Supreme Court fight

 

“What’s the big deal?” This was the very pertinent question posed by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. during Tuesday’s oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Why has the defendant — the Montgomery County, Maryland, school district — come before the Supreme Court with what should have been a minor administrative issue?

In 2022, Montgomery County introduced into its language arts curriculum a set of books that affirm LGBTQ+ identities. As with other material that might conflict with families’ religious values, such as sex education, the district allowed parents an opt-out. Then, it abruptly rescinded that option and refused to reconsider, even after some parents sued.

This is how Alan Schoenfeld, the school district’s lawyer, ended up in court trying to explain to Alito why the district was unable to accommodate parents with religious objections. “The plaintiffs here are not asking the school to change its curriculum,” Alito pointed out. “They’re just saying, look, we want out. Why isn’t that feasible? What is the big deal about allowing them to opt out of this?”

Schoenfeld tried to argue that the administrative burden was too great but, when asked why it was so much greater than the opt-outs available for health class, he appeared to struggle, finally responding that those opt-outs were mandated by state law, whereas the reading opt-outs were not...

https://wapo.st/4lM34Ok

Maryland school districts try workaround to Trump order to cut DEI, but judge makes it moot for now

 In The Baltimore Sun, reporters Bridget Byrne and Mary Carole McCauley. Full story here.

Maryland schools will not be required to sign a certification of compliance with the U.S. Department of Education’s demand to cut diversity, equity and inclusion — for now — but had planned a workaround to avoid signing anyway.

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s mandate against DEI efforts in public schools, which they argue is as illegal based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

In February, the Department of Education sent a letter to state department of education demanding schools remove DEI from “all aspects of student life” or lose all federal funding. This year, the Maryland State Department of Education received a total of $285.6 million in federal funds.

That letter was followed up on April 3 with a letter insisting all local school superintendents sign the certification, setting a deadline to return the document by Thursday.

While other states, including Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Wisconsin, refused to sign the certification point-blank, Maryland’s Department of Education was considering returning an alternative certification.

In an April 7 memo obtained by The Baltimore Sun, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright asked local superintendents to sign an alternative certification, hoping it will allow them to retain federal funding without dismantling DEI programs.

State officials revised the certification to say only that school districts are in “full compliance” with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and do not discriminate based on “race, color and national origin.”

The federal government’s proposed certification letter goes further than Wright’s alternative.

Supreme Court signals support for Maryland parents who object to LGBTQ books in public schools

 From the AP, reporter Mark Sherman. Read the whole story here.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Tuesday signaled support for the religious rights of parents in Maryland who want to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters.

The court seemed likely to find that the Montgomery County school system, in suburban Washington, could not require elementary school children to sit through lessons involving the books if parents expressed religious objections to the material.

The case is one of three religious rights cases at the court this term. The justices have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years.

NYT Opinion: My School District Could Have Avoided This Supreme Court Case

...I begrudge the public money wasted on expensive lawyers. I can’t fathom that we squandered so much energy fighting over storybooks even as our kids’ test scores foundered, absenteeism soared and student mental health slumped in the wake of the pandemic.

I can’t decide which conceit is more delusional: The school district grandstanding about social tolerance while forcing a minority of religious families to engage with books they consider immoral or the religious parents claiming that they can’t properly rear their children in faith if the kids get exposed to a few picture books. Both positions, it seems to me, rest on a cartoonishly inflated sense of school’s influence on children. And both seek an ideologically purified classroom while underestimating the sweep of ideas and information kids absorb simply by existing in our world.

Most of all, I feel that our community’s failure to resolve a thoroughly predictable tension with the time-tested tools of straight talk, compromise and extending one another a little grace has made for a demoralizing spectacle. And I can’t help but notice that our district, in its clumsy efforts to force tolerance, might have given the Supreme Court an opening to repress L.G.B.T.Q.-related speech in the nation’s schools...

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/opinion/lgbtq-books-supreme-court.html?searchResultPosition=3

"The committee members weren't enamored with any of FLO's work."

Washington County Trades Redistricting Software for Free App

The committee who split Spokane County into five commissioner districts spent hundreds of hours drawing maps this year as they determined how to divide the county into equally populated, politically fair pieces.

November 02, 2021 • 

Colin Tiernan, The Spokesman-Review

...FLO Analytics, the committee's contractor, performed several essential duties for the redistricting process. For instance, FLO helped gather public comments on the redistricting plan.

The committee members weren't enamored with any of FLO's work. But it was FLO's technological performance, and the map-drawing software they provided, that drew the bulk of the committee's ire.

FLO Analytics did not agree to an interview with The Spokesman-Review, but provided a written statement over email...

https://www.govtech.com/civic/washington-county-trades-redistricting-software-for-free-app

"Cram didn’t answer whether the change will impact the cost of the contract."

MCPS takes over leadership for boundary study’s community engagement  

...The Montgomery County school board approved a $1.3 million contract in December to hire FLO Analytics, an “employee-owned consulting” company with offices in Oregon, Washington and Massachusetts to conduct a school boundary study. The school board must adopt new boundaries by March 2026 since new schools that will be impacted by the revised boundaries are scheduled to open in August 2027. Bloom Planning was hired as a subcontractor to focus on community engagement as part of the study.    

MCPS spokesperson Chris Cram said Wednesday that the first few community engagement sessions were managed by FLO Analytics, and that was a “small hand off” from Bloom because the first community survey was managed by the subcontractor. Cram didn’t answer whether the change will impact the cost of the contract...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/04/15/mcps-takes-over-leadership-boundary-study/

The Current: A Call for Student Awareness: Rethinking Our Response to Lockdowns

This past week, our campus experienced a lockdown followed by a shelter-in-place order due to a reported assault in the vicinity. This situation has sparked a serious concern for me, particularly regarding my classmates’ reactions to such a critical incident.

While lockdowns are not a new concept in American schools, the immediate response from many students was disheartening. Instead of feeling alarmed, the predominant response seemed to be annoyance, with comments like, “Oh, not this again,” echoing in the halls. This reaction highlights a troubling trend: the normalization of school threats. These potentially dangerous situations seem to have become yet another routine disruption to our education rather than a serious call for caution. 

I am genuinely grateful for our administration’s commitment to our students’ safety; they take every report seriously and implement procedures to protect us. However, the fact that incidents like this create a more annoyed than anxious response among students is alarming. It raises critical questions about our collective mindset toward safety and preparedness. We all need to be part of the solution in an environment where threats can occur and students’ safety is on the line. 

During the recent lockdown, I observed my peers listening to music, playing mobile games, and casually chatting during a shelter-in-place. This behavior, which I found disconcerting, undermines the seriousness of the situation and poses a significant safety risk...

https://wmcurrent.com/41748/showcase/a-call-for-student-awareness-rethinking-our-response-to-lockdowns/

Governor Moore to sign controversial bill amending the Child Victims Act

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A bill proposing changes to the Child Victims Act is on the way to Governor Wes Moore’s desk.

The Child Victims Act of 2023 removed the statute of limitations for filing child abuse lawsuits.

The governor’s office confirmed he plans to sign House Bill 1378 into law, taking effect on June 1.

Emily Malarkey, from Bekman, Marder, Hopper, Malarkey & Perlin, LLC, said, “The bill makes significant changes to the Child Victims Act of 2023.”

Under the original law passed in 2023, child sex abuse survivors may receive up to $1.5 million dollars per incident for claims against private institutions, while governmental agencies are limited to payouts of $890,000 per incident.

However, this new bill would slash child sex abuse survivors’ compensation to a maximum of $700,000 if abused by a private institution and $400,000 if abused by governmental agencies.

The bill would also modify the “per incident” payout.

“That means no matter how many times a child endured sexual abuse or by how many people, the survivor may only recover one cap on pain and suffering damages,” Malarkey said...

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/governor-moore-to-sign-controversial-bill-amending-the-child-victims-act

MoCo school board approves Kennedy High principal appointment

 Story in Bethesda Magazine by reporter Ashlyn Campbell. For the whole story go here. 

Leaders Also Selected for elementary schools in Bethesda, Damascus

The Montgomery County school board unanimously approved the appointments of three new school principals on Thursday, filling the leadership roles at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Wyngate Elementary School in Bethesda and Lois P. Rockwell Elementary School in Damascus.  

The school board also approved the appointments of a deputy chief in financial oversight, a director position in budget management, and an associate superintendent for the Department of Multilingual Education for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). 

The board appointed Karla López-Arias to serve as the principal of Kennedy High beginning July 1. According to MCPS, López-Arias has been employed with the district for the last 18 years, serving as a teacher, assistant school administrator, assistant principal and most recently as a supervisor in the Department of Student Engagement, Behavioral Health and Academics. 

The board also appointed Catherine Guenthner to serve as principal of Wyngate Elementary. 

In addition, Brooke Simon was appointed to serve as principal of Lois P. Rockwell Elementary in Damascus.

And:

Katheryne Morales was appointed to serve as an associate superintendent in the Division of Multilingual Education. Morales serves as an assistant superintendent of multilingual education in the East Ramapo Central School District in Rockland County, New York, according to her LinkedIn profile. 

The board also appointed Angelina Filipova to serve as a director in the Department of Management and Budget.

Allen Francois was appointed to serve as a deputy chief in the Division of Financial Oversight. According to his LinkedIn profile, Francois serves as the director of school finance in the District of Columbia Public Schools. 

Black Mothers and Infants Face Higher Health Complications in Montgomery County, Report Reveals

Black mothers and infants in Montgomery County face disproportionately higher rates of health complications, according to a report from the Office of Legislative Oversight. Commissioned by Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, the report, Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes, reveals that the maternal morbidity rate for Black women is 54 percent higher than the countywide average.

The report found that Black individuals in Montgomery County experience considerably worse maternal and infant health outcomes, including the highest rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM), cesarean births, preterm births, low birth weight, and fetal and infant deaths. The report also notes that one-third of severe maternal morbidity cases in Maryland are preventable. These disparities are expected to worsen as the county’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) population grows.

 https://www.mymcmedia.org/black-mothers-and-infants-face-higher-health-complications-report-reveals/

What Maryland lawmakers changed about child care, schools and colleges

 In the Baltimore Banner, story by reporters Maya Lora, Kristen Griffith, and Ellie Wolfe. To read the full story go here.

The Maryland Legislative session has just ended and the Baltimore Banner has a recap of bills that passed and those that didn't. Here are some excerpts from the article.

Equity efforts for teachers and school leaders

It could be a little easier for educators of color to enter the teaching profession, thanks to the passage of a bill that alters the path to a teaching license. Educators will no longer have to take a popular licensure test that “has been found to contain racial bias that may affect the test’s scoring, has limited efficacy to assess performance, and poses a financial burden for aspiring educator applicants,” the Maryland State Education Association said via email.

The state’s teachers union also supported a successful bill that requires each county school board member to take anti-bias training. It used to only be a requirement for educators. The extension to board members is intended to make those in charge of school policy decisions “well informed of their role in preventing bias, prejudice, and hate,” the union stated.

Lawmakers attempted to improve the educator workforce with a few other bills, but not all of them made it to the finish line. That includes one that would’ve required all school systems to use a national database to screen job applicants for disciplinary actions reported by school districts across the country. The bill had strong support in the senate but never made it out of committee.

The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact bill also fell short. It could’ve helped Maryland public schools hire teachers with out-of-state credentials more easily. However, the bill had a short life in the house and never got a vote.

No statewide ban on cellphones in schools

Baltimore City Public Schools passed a cellphone ban this week, and Howard County already has one. Despite early evidence that suggests bans can lead to better grades and sharper focus for students, lawmakers did not pass any bills requiring other school districts to at least consider doing the same.

One of the bills introduced this year would have required certain county boards of education to develop and adopt a policy on the use of personal electronic devices during school hours. Though the bill was steadily making its way through the statehouse, it didn’t make it to the governor’s desk.

Brookeville Parents Push Back Against Proposed Drug Rehab Center

Brookeville parents have raised concerns about the plans to open a drug rehabilitation facility next to Greenwood Elementary School.

According to reports from several news organizations, two houses directly adjacent to the school along Gold Mine Road were recently purchased to accommodate The Freedom Center. The buildings could potentially house up to 16 clients.

The reports note that parents worry about the safety of their children, especially on the playground during recess hours.

Neighborhood parents have created a petition to attempt to block the opening of the facility. A community meeting to discuss options will be held on March 24 at 7 p.m. Additional information, including a Zoom link for those wishing to attend virtually, can be found at the petition link...

Brookeville Parents Push Back Against Proposed Drug Rehab Center - Montgomery Community Media