Who hired Marcus G. Jones to be MCPS Chief of Security and Compliance for MCPS?

Answer:  April L. Key.  

When former Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus G. Jones was announced as the MCPS Chief of Security and Compliance on June 25, 2024, it was a surprise as Chief Jones had just retired from the Montgomery County Police Department.  

Police Chief Marcus G. Jones was announced as the MCPS Chief of Security and Compliance at the June 25, 2024, Board of Education meeting right after the appointment of Thomas W. Taylor as the new MCPS Superintendent.  The announcement was made by Acting Interim Superintendent Dr. Henry Johnson.  Interim Superintendent Monique Felder was not present at the June 25, 2024, Board of Education meeting.  

After Acting Interim Superintendent Dr. Henry Johnson announced the recommended appointment of Marcus G. Jones as MCPS Chief of Security and Compliance, a Board member announced "move approval" and the student member seconded the motion.  The Board President then announced "all in favor raise your hand" and a vote was taken.  The Board President then said, "that's unanimous, congratulations."  The MCPS Press Release on the position repeated the Board vote.

But the exchange by the Board of Education was just a cover for whoever actually hired Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones had already been hired for this new position by April L. Key on June 20, 2024, almost a week before the Board meeting.  

It turns out the rumor posted on a local blog was true.  

The Parents' Coalition has obtained Mr. Jones' offer letter from MCPS via a Maryland Public Information Act request.  The letter offers Mr. Jones the position without any contingency on Board of Education approval.  The letter ends with "Welcome to the MCPS family!" 

The Board of Education did not have any approval authority over the hiring of Mr. Jones per Board of Education Policy GEA, "Leadership positions subject to Board approval shall be those positions classified “O” and higher on the MCPS salary schedule."  Mr. Jones position was classified NS. 

MCPS was in a period of transition in the spring and summer of 2024.  Which of the acting/interim/superintendents had authorized April Key to hire Marcus Jones, or is that a decision she made on her own? 

You might remember the name of April Key, MCPS Chief of Human Resources and Development, from the Beidleman matter or from the Damascus High School sex assault cases. 

MCPS made him reverse Beidleman sex harassment finding—and then retaliated, he alleges

Walker alleged that the administrators who have retaliated against him include two of the most senior leaders in MCPS: Chief of Human Resources and Development April Key and Chief Operations Officer Brian Hull, who was acting superintendent for a short period last fall and who ranks just below Superintendent Monifa McKnight, according to an MCPS organizational chart.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/01/12/mcps-made-him-reverse-beidleman-sex-harassment-finding-and-then-retaliated-he-alleges/

 

 Criticism over MCPS allowing 2 former principals to serve in corrective action workgroup.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — At a February 8 Montgomery County Council meeting about the Inspector General report on MCPS' complaint processing, a councilmember referred to the 2018 Damascus High School sexual assault case.

Laurie-Anne Sayles asked MCPS Chief of Human Resources April Key a pointed question about the school's former principal and former head football coach.

"Is the coach and principal still employed by MCPS?" she queried.

"Yes, they are," answered Key regarding former Damascus High Principal Casey Crouse and former coach Eric Wallich

https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-faces-criticism-for-employing-former-principals-involved-in-2018-assault-cases-damascus-gaithersburg-high-school-councilmember

“Human resources is a profession. Recruiting is a profession. Investigating complaints is a profession,” she said. “We [@MCPS] have not put professionals in those role.”

 

Montgomery school board apologizes for mishandling misconduct complaints

...School board member Lynne Harris (At Large) asked Ormsby if she was creating processes for how to review “collateral complaints” — which are additional allegations about an employee shared by witnesses during an investigation. Harris explained that the school system had “no plan” for investigating those types of allegations, unless a witness separately filed their own complaint.

“What I’ve communicated very clearly and consistently is that all complaints will be reviewed and/or investigated,” Ormsby answered. “The investigation doesn’t end with that initial complaint.”

The school system also plans to refine its job descriptions for people hired in the Department of Compliance and Investigations. Harris said clarifying the qualifications and expectations for hires was a necessary move.

“Human resources is a profession. Recruiting is a profession. Investigating complaints is a profession,” she said. “We have not put professionals in those role.”..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/02/06/montgomery-county-school-board-discusses-misconduct-investigations/

MCPS made him reverse Beidleman sex harassment finding—and then retaliated, he alleges. Beidleman had a reputation for inappropriate behavior, 88 current and former MCPS central office employees, administrators and staff members who had interacted with him told this reporter.

Public Schools compliance coordinator who found “stone cold sexual harassment” during an internal investigation of Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman was ordered to reverse his finding—and, according to a complaint filed by the coordinator, has suffered retaliation after he protested and spoke to outside investigators.

Department of Compliance and Investigations (DCI) coordinator Khalid Walker was publicly tagged as the author of a report last year that cleared Beidleman of misconduct allegations, leading to harassment and threats against Walker from members of the public, Walker said. Yet Walker told MoCo360 he was instructed to rewrite the report after Beidleman was promoted to be principal of Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville. Walker claimed that MCPS has not taken steps to publicly absolve him...

 https://moco360.media/2024/01/12/mcps-made-him-reverse-beidleman-sex-harassment-finding-and-then-retaliated-he-alleges/