Rockville City Council studying options that would not stifle development but could crowd school

In an emerging debate over economic growth and school crowding, Rockville City Council members seem split on a proposal that would allow hundreds of additional students at Richard Montgomery High School.

New enrollment-growth projections for the school could trigger a moratorium on residential building and Rockville City Council member Mark Pierzchala has suggested increasing a cap so development could advance.

At a Monday night public meeting, the idea drew concerns...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/rockville-proposal-to-allow-more-students-at-richard-montgomery-high-questioned/

Under director of schools Dr. Shawn Joseph, the lawsuit says Lindsey began to encounter what it calls "a policy and practice ... of selective enforcement of Metro rules and protection of certain individuals."...One of those investigations involved former Metro Schools administrator Mo Carassco, a longtime friend of Joseph.

New lawsuit filed in MNPS sexual harassment scandal

...Under director of schools Dr. Shawn Joseph, the lawsuit says Lindsey began to encounter what it calls "a policy and practice ... of selective enforcement of Metro rules and protection of certain individuals."

"There appeared to be a pattern, not just a pattern, but a practice of improper investigations -- investigations that were improperly influenced presumably because of certain persons who were favored in one way or another," Blackburn said.

One of those investigations involved former Metro Schools administrator Mo Carassco, a longtime friend of Joseph.

The lawsuit claims that the number two person in the HR department, Sharon Pertiller, "threatened" Lindsey when a victim came forward with a formal complaint against Carassco.

"She told Mr. Lindsay that the director of schools, Mr. Joseph, was aware of this and that he expected it to 'turn out right' and there would be difficulties for him if it didn't turn out right," Blackburn said.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates has previously reported that school board member Amy Frogge had informed Joseph a few months before that there was an unnamed woman who had come to her with a complaint of being sexually harassed by Carassco.

Instead of ordering an HR investigation, Joseph went to Carassco to let him know about Frogge's allegation.

The lawsuit claims that when the victim, Vanessa Garcia, finally made an official complaint, Joseph ordered HR staff to keep the investigation quiet...

7 On Your Side: Students wounded by school's new artificial turf fields

Former teacher sentenced to 90 days in decades-old Maryland sex abuse case

A former high school teacher, coach and athletic director in Montgomery County was sentenced to 90 days in jail this week after pleading guilty in a child sex abuse case dating back three decades.

Michael John Riley, 64, of Walkersville admitted in court Monday to engaging in sex acts with a student at Rockville High School in 1984 and 1985. She was 16 when the relationship started and he was 29, according to prosecutors. An investigation of the case began this year, in April...

...Riley had taught history and coached basketball at Rockville High School, prosecutors said in court Monday. Over his career, he also had worked at Richard Montgomery, Poolesville and Clarksburg high schools. More recently, he had served as athletic director at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/former-teacher-sentenced-to-90-days-in-decades-old-maryland-sex-abuse-case/2018/10/17/91cc3e86-d252-11e8-83d6-291fcead2ab1_story.html?utm_term=.3d5ed9966891

Zeolite RMHS documents Bids and Award

Parents' Coalition has obtained bid and award documents related to the artificial turf replacement at Richard Montgomery High School. The documents clearly show that bidders were required to use zeolite. Award documents are below.

Ntp Rep of Art Turf Rm Hs 6... by on Scribd

BOE 349-18 Award of Contrac... by on Scribd

Sprinturf Po 8373789 by on Scribd

Zeolite Required in Bid Specs for RMHS Artificial Turf Replacement

Parents' Coalition has obtained documents concerning the Bid Specifications and Request for Bids for the Richard Montgomery High School Artificial Turf. The Bid Request specifically requires the bidder to provide zeolite.

RMHS Turf Replacement Bid S... by on Scribd

MoCo Bd of Ed. Demands Zeolite, But Zeolite "degradation can cause dust which also poses a health risk."

High School Turf Fields Advisory Group Report: 

https://bellinghamschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/FinalRecommendationTurfFields.pdf

Environmental Waste Generated by Board of Education's Lust for Plastic Football Fields: The Turf Mountain

The Netherlands is a country of artificial turf. No country in the world has more artificial turf per capita. Last summer, over 200 artificial grass pitches were replaced in the Netherlands. No less than 1 million square metres of artificial turf had to be removed. All waste that cannot be dumped. What happens to the old pitches? What happens to all that plastic and all the polluting rubber in them? Processing companies promise to separate all the waste and recycle it. Municipalities pay top dollar for that. But what is the reality? Those involved call it 'the best kept secret in the market'. ZEMBLA follows the trail of a number of transports, and finds itself in a world of dealers, defrauding artificial turf processors, absent supervisors, and a growing artificial turf pile.

Parade of Pollution: Aug. 3rd Dumpster Overflowing with Plastic, Crumb Rubber Clogged Storm Drain, MDE Inspection After Heavy Rain #ArtificialTurfPrivilege

Part 9: 

These pictures show what Richard Montgomery High School (RMHS) looked like on August 3, 2018.  This is now 16 days after the artificial turf field was supposedly removed from RMHS according to the letter distributed by Council President Hans Riemer.  The pictures show what appears to be a 4th dumpster full of used plastic grass, crumb rubber and trash.

There is also a RMHS storm drain completely clogged with crumb rubber showing that the "filters" that Superintendent Jack R. Smith and MCPS COO Andrew Zuckerman have said were keeping the crumb rubber out of the Cabin John Watershed had completely failed.

Note that the day before these pictures were taken, August 2nd, the storm drains around RMHS were inspected (See page 7 of document) after a heavy rain by the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE).  The inspection did not find crumb rubber in the system outfall, but noted that MDE would be back at a later date to inspect the "staging area" when the contractor "demobilizes" from the site.  The "staging area" is shown in the pictures below.  Apparently, MDE does not inspect "staging areas," even one's that are actively polluting a watershed.

Sand delivery for new artificial turf field.

Crumb rubber tire tracks are still seen
all over the RMHS property.

See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

2018 August 8 MCPS Jack R. Smith by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Parade of Pollution: July 30, 2018, Smith and Zuckerman Do Not Want to Discuss What Happened to Used Plastic Grass and Crumb Rubber #ArtificialTurfPrivilege

Part 8:

At the July 30, 2018, Montgomery County Board of Education meeting Superintendent Jack R. Smith had MCPS Chief Operating Officer Andrew Zuckerman read a prepared statement about the removal of the artificial turf at Richard Montgomery High School.  In the statement, Superintendent Smith called the discussion around the removal of the artificial turf a "distraction from core mission."

The statement read in part:

...It is unfortunate that there is a small group of individuals attempting to mislead and misinform our community about this issue. This behavior distracts from our core mission of teaching and learning. I am particularly troubled by the fact that in this case we are fielding questions about a paintball facility’s reuse of artificial turf in White Marsh, Maryland when here in Montgomery County locally we are focused on creating opportunities for all students to learn and achieve at high levels...

Unbeknownst to Superintendent Smith and MCPS COO Andrew Zuckerman an individual had traveled to the White Marsh, MD location that Smith and Zuckerman were claiming was an artificial turf recycling facilty.  That person posted their pictures of what they found to Facebook and Twitter.

Does this look like a "storage facility" to you?  Does it look like anything other than a paint ball field with used artificial turf and crumb rubber dumped all over it?

From Twitter: 

My hope is that MCPS does better the next time they dispose of artificial turf and infill. Does this seem like environmentally responsible move? pic.twitter.com/s4lZKzXTVg

— susan loftus (@SooznLoft) August 1, 2018

See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

Parade of Pollution: July 29, 2018 - Another Dumpster, Storm Drain with Crumb Rubber #ArtificialTurfPrivilege

Part 7:

These pictures were taken on July 29, 2018, and document that tons of plastic grass and crumb rubber were still on site at Richard Montgomery High School 8 days after the MCPS Chief Operating Officer wrote that the field had been removed.  

Each dumpster holds approximately 4 tons of material, so here is another 4 tons of plastic grass and crumb rubber that were not loaded on a "flatbed trailer for transport" as Superintendent Jack R. Smith wrote in his August 8th memorandum to the Board of Education. This is the 3rd dumpster full of plastic grass and crumb rubber that we photographed on site.

These pictures also show that on July 29th loose crumb rubber was still on the ground at RMHS and was not being contained or prevented from entering the Cabin John Watershed.  Crumb rubber was leaking from the dumpster and entering the storm drain.  The filters that MCPS attempted to use were not effective. 

See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

Parade of Pollution: July 26, 2018, INSIDE THE DUMPSTER #ArtificialTurfPrivilege

Part 6: 

These pictures were also taken on July 26, 2018, and document the removal of the football field of plastic grass and 120 tons of crumb rubber from Richard Montgomery High School.
These pictures show the rolls of artificial turf and crumb rubber that were left behind at RMHS after the tractor trailer load was taken away.

These pictures also show INSIDE one of the dumpsters at Richard Montgomery High School.  Inside the dumpster is loose crumb rubber, hay, plastic bottles, and wads of plastic grass.  Contrast this picture with what Superintendent Jack R. Smith told the Board of Education about the removal of the artificial turf field in his August 8th memo.

Superintendent Smith memo to Board of Education August 8, 2018.

The picture below clearly shows hay, plastic bottles, loose crumb rubber and plastic grass randomly tossed in a dumpster.  The contents of this dumpster were not rolled up and were not going to be reused or repurposed.  This dumpster was on its way to a landfill in Brunswick, Virginia.

The picture below, also taken on July 26th, 8 days after MCPS said the field had been removed shows crumb rubber clogging a storm drain. 

On July 26th, rolls of artificial turf with crumb rubber spillling out are still at Richard Montgomery High School.

See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

Nashville School Officials Protected Sexual Harassers, Lawsuit Claims

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Did Nashville school officials protect men who engaged in horrendous sexual harassment against district employees?

That's the allegation contained in a new lawsuit. It accuses Metro Nashville Public Schools of running "sham investigations" in response to harassment complaints filed by employees.

The lawsuit -- which follows an exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation -- was filed by three employees at Antioch's John F. Kennedy Middle School against the district, as well as the executive principal there, Dr. Sam Braden.

"As an entity, MNPS had a policy and practice of ignoring complaints of sexual harassment, as well as interfering with investigations of harassment," the lawsuit says...

...Right before that complaint was filed, another Metro Schools administrator, Mo Carrasco, had become the subject of a sexual harassment investigation. Carrasco was a longtime friend of Shawn Joseph and came with him to Nashville in 2016. [Both former Montgomery County Public Schools administrators]

In Carrasco's case, the lawsuit makes a stunning accusation.

"Ms. Pertiller came to the man in charge of this investigation and told him that he better 'get this right' in terms of outcome or Dr. Joseph would fire him," Blackburn said.

The lawsuit says that - even though Joseph knew there were allegations against his friend - Pertiller told the HR employee he would not be allowed to interview the director of schools about what he knew.

In the end, the investigation still concluded Carrasco was guilty, and he resigned.

But the lawsuit says that wasn't the end of it.

"The outcome was contrary to Mr. Carrasco, and all sorts of retaliation ensued for this employee afterwards," Blackburn explained....

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/metro-schools/nashville-school-officials-protected-sexual-harassers-lawsuit-claims

Parade of Pollution: July 21, 2018. Letter from MCPS COO and 5.39 Inches of Rain #ArtificialTurfPrivilege

Part 5:

Then the rain came.  
On July 21, 2018, Rockville received 5.39 inches of rain in one day. That same day, MCPS Chief Operating Officer Andrew Zuckerman sent out a letter to the public.  

July 21, 2018Dear MCPS Community,This week, contractors began work to replace the artificial turf field at Richard Montgomery High School.  The existing artificial turf material has been removed and sent for recycling.  The entire system, including turf fibers and infill, will be repurposed as a continuation of the overall lifecycle of the materials.In addition, any remaining debris left over from the removal of the turf field will be cleared.  We have taken steps to mitigate the impact of the field removal process on the surrounding environment.  In addition to sweeping up debris, the storm water management system under the surface at Richard Montgomery High School is designed to contain debris within the system to allow for thorough, periodic cleaning.  Other preventative measures, such as the use of mesh screening over turf materials waiting to be hauled away, are also in place.  Contractors and MCPS staff are working diligently to remove the artificial turf in a safe and efficient manner and look forward to installing the new organic infill field shortly. Andrew ZuckermanChief Operating OfficerMontgomery County Public Schools 

  

The pictures below were taken on July 24, 2018 at Richard Montgomery High School and contradict the statements made by the MCPS COO.  

• The existing artificial turf and crumb rubber had not all been removed by July 21st.
• Mesh screening is not in use over the artificial turf left on site.
• Crumb rubber can be seen clogging up a storm drain, leaking out of a dumpster and spilling out of rolls of used artificial turf. 
• Crumb rubber can be seen floating in puddles of water on the grass.
• The removal of the used artificial turf and 120 tons of crumb rubber was far from over 3 days after the letter from the MCPS COO on July 21st.

  

 

See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

Superintendent Smith says: What Happens to Removed Plastic Grass is "beyond the control of MCPS." #artificialturf #pollution

July 18th RMHS: Unprotected storm drain clogged
 with crumb rubber and water.

Superintendent Jack R. Smith wrote a memorandum to the Board of Education on August 8, 2018, disputing what is clearly shown in photographs from Richard Montgomery High School in our series of photographs over multiple days.  See Parade of Pollution posts.

As our pictures show, some of the rolls of plastic grass and crumb rubber left the RMHS site on the back of an uncovered tractor trailer on a bright sunny day.  Superintendent Jack Smith's excuse for why the tractor trailer left RMHS uncovered with crumb rubber spilling out into the road does not correspond with reality.

Over multiple days, crumb rubber was observed blanketing the RMHS site with no attempt of any sort to stop the crumb rubber from going into the storm drains.  One of our pictures shows a large pool of water filled with crumb rubber around an unprotected storm drain.

Superintendent Smith refers to a company by the name of TurfCycle, but does not address the fact that such a company is not licensed to do business in Maryland and does not exist anywhere on the Internet.  Superintendent Smith contracted with this company and that begs the question, on what basis does MCPS evaluate the existence and licensing of its contractors?

Superintendent Smith does not explain what happened to the 35+ rolls of plastic grass and crumb rubber that were not removed from RMHS by TurfCycle.  Where did those 12+ tons of plastic and ground up tires go?

Finally, Superintendent Smith cites a funding source for the replacement of the RMHS artificial turf football field that does not exist.  The Artificial Turf Program Fund was appropriated by the Montgomery County Council to pay for the installation of new artificial turf fields at high schools that did not have an artificial turf field.  The Fund was not created to pay for the replacement of artificial turf fields.

   2018 August 8 MCPS Jack R. Smith by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Parade of Pollution: July 19 , 2018 - At least 34 Rolls of Artificial Turf and Crumb Rubber Not Taken to White Marsh "Storage Facility" #ArtificialTurfPrivilege #HansRiemer #MCPS

Part 4:
These pictures were also taken on July 19, 2018, and document the removal of the football field of plastic grass and 120 tons of crumb rubber from Richard Montgomery High School.

These pictures show the rolls of articicial turf carpet and crumb rubber that were left behind at RMHS after the tractor trailer load was taken away.

Remember that the "field" was shipped to White Marsh, Maryland on July 18th according to the TurfCycle USA letter distributed by County Council President Hans Riemer.  These pictures were taken after the "field" was sent to White Marsh.  It would appear that these are the rolls of artificial turf and crumb rubber that ended up in dumpsters and shipped off to the Brunswick, VA landfill.

These pictures document at least 34 rolls of artificial turf filled with crumb rubber that were not taken to the White Marsh, MD "storage facility."

See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

16 rolls of artificial turf at far end of field

18+ rolls of artificial turf a near end  (concession)

Parade of Pollution: July 17, 2018 - Richard Montgomery High School Artificial Turf and Crumb Rubber Removal #ArtificialTurfPrivilege

Part 3:
These pictures were taken on July 17, 2018, and document the removal of the football field of plastic grass and 120 tons of crumb rubber from Richard Montgomery High School (RMHS).  

We have now gone back to the day before our first pictures were taken at RMHS on July 18th to show the pictures taken and posted by @RMRockets_AD on Twitter.  That account is listed as being the RMHS Athletic Director.  

The first picture below is important because it shows the plastic grass being rolled up with the crumb rubber still on the field.  That is not how an artificial turf field is recycled.  If an artificial turf field is actually going to be recycled the plastic grass and infill are segregated on site. Clearly, the components of the RMHS field were not going to be recycled.  

The black on the ground is the 120 tons of crumb rubber (ground up used tires) on the field.  This is what students at RMHS were playing on before the field was removed. 

See Parade of Pollution posts documenting the pollution to our stormwater and environment from the removal of this one artificial turf football field at this link.

Picture shows crumb rubber being rolled up with the plastic grass.