Councilmember Sayles and Luedtke - FYI: The former @mcps Damascus High School principal is hardly "just on the books," she is now an expert advisor to MCPS.

At the Montgomery County Council's joint committee hearing yesterday on the Inspector General's report on the investigation of MCPS' promotion practices, one topic that came up was how MCPS has been known to remove principals and other staff from schools and place them in the MCPS human relations department.  

Councilmember Luedtke's questioning gave the impression that MCPS just puts staff in HR as a bookkeeping formality and that the staff placed in human resources who are involved in controversial school matters are "just on the books."

Earlier in the hearing, Councilmember Sayles had asked about the status of the former Damascus High School principal and coach who were at the school during the time of the football locker room hazing and rape incidents.  

MCPS administrator April L. Key, Chief, Human Resources and Development, responded to questioning that yes, the former Damascus High School principal and coach at the time of the hazing rape incidents were still employed by MCPS. 

What Ms. Key did not relate is that not only is the former Damascus High School principal still employed by MCPS, still listed as working for the Office of Human Resources and Development, but she is also now considered an expert on sexual harassment claims and is advising MCPS on the corrective action plan.  

The former Damascus High School principal is hardly "just on the books," she is now an expert advisor to MCPS.  

People assigned to HR that are "just on the books."  

 

Sayles: "This past September MCPS was ordered to pay what was reported to be the largest settlement of its kind in the state.  Nearly $10 million dollars to the four victims of the 2017 - 2018 football hazing sexual assault case at Damascus High School.  Is the Coach and Principal still employed by MCPS, that was there during that time frame?

Key: "Yes, they are."

 

Damascus High ‘brooming’ sex assault lawsuit can go to trial, judge rules. [...school officials knew of at least three, earlier sexual assaults inside Montgomery County high school locker rooms...]

The federal litigation stemmed from locker-room sex assaults by junior varsity football players in Maryland

...“Plaintiffs have put forward evidence that a reasonable jury could conclude that reckless or callous indifference occurred here,” U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte said from the bench.

Attorneys for the families say that school officials knew of at least three, earlier sexual assaults inside Montgomery County high school locker rooms, including an alleged 2017 incident among Damascus football players involving a broomstick that has emerged as perhaps the most critical and contentious part of the litigation. The families also say school officials, partly motivated to protect the powerhouse football program, allowed a player to remain on the JV squad despite his history of violence and sexual harassment, and that they left the JV locker room unchecked for an hour every day between the end of classes and the start of practice...

 https://wapo.st/3o1DMCT