Two Montgomery County Public Schools employees involved in an investigation for possible “financial improprieties” in the district’s transportation department are no longer employed by MCPS, a spokesman confirmed Friday.
In mid-November, Montgomery County police began investigating the allegations, and the department’s two top administrators — Director Todd Watkins and Assistant Director Charles Ewald — were placed on administrative leave.
On Friday, MCPS spokesman Chris Cram confirmed in an email to Bethesda Beat that neither Watkins nor Ewald are employed by MCPS. He declined to comment further, citing a “confidential personnel matter.”
However, Cram said “there is no update at this time” in regard to the investigation as a whole, but the district continues “to support the investigation being led by the police.”
A Montgomery County police spokesman also said there was no update to share.
When Bethesda Beat first reported about the investigation, MCPS did not disclose what the allegations were, who made them or who within the district’s Department of Transportation was involved.
At the time, MCPS declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation, but said more information would be shared “in the coming weeks.”
There have been no public updates since.
Michael Lewis was announced in November as the department’s acting director.
MCPS operates about 1,200 school buses for its 209 schools.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@bethesdda-remix.newspackstaging.com