Montgomery County Councilmembers Evan Glass (D-At-large) and Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7) are calling for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) officials to testify under oath at a joint session between the Education and Culture Committee and the Audit Committee on Thursday to discuss the Jan. 23 report from the county inspector general that found that MCPS had failed to address failures in its investigative processes despite being advised four time that the system was in disarray.
Also this week, a coalition of the Montgomery County NAACP, the Black Ministers Conference of Montgomery County, municipal leaders and others on Thursday evening publicly issued a letter to school board letters urging them to cease seeking Superintendent Monifa McKnight’s ouster.
A memo from Glass and Luedtke states that the council has the authority to require officials to testify under oath under a provision in county code, which states that “the county council shall have power to issue subpoenas for witnesses, and the president thereof shall have power to administer the oath to any witness who may be examined before the council, such oath to have all the qualities of an oath taken before any other judicial tribunal or officers, and violations thereof to be punishable as other perjuries are punishable.”
The OIG report that will be discussed Thursday was developed in light of sexual misconduct and bullying allegations against former Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman. However, it did not delve into specifics pertaining to how MCPS handled that investigation while approving a promotion for Beidleman to principal of Paint Branch High School.
Several councilmembers and County Executive Marc Elrich said the report left unanswered questions. In previous months, McKnight and school board President Karla Silvestre had promised accountability and transparency in the matter. McKnight is currently fighting an effort by the school board to oust her ahead of the end of her contract, which is June 30, 2026.
“We recognize the unique nature of the Council exercising this authority. However, unprecedented times demand unprecedented action. Using our legal authority sends a clear message that the Council is unequivocal in its pursuit of the truth,” the memo says. “If we intend to condemn bullying, harassment, and fear of retaliation in the workplace, we must take all necessary and appropriate actions pursuant to the Council’s authority for the hearing on February 8.”
Friedson did not immediately respond to a request to comment on whether he would heed Glass and Luedtke’s recommendation.
“We’ll be asking tough questions. We’ll be following up on what happened, what is happening and what will happen in response to the findings of [the OIG] report and the prior reports and the issues,” Friedson said at a press briefing on Monday. “We’ll continue to push for increased accountability and transparency. We know that that’s what our educators and our families and our staff members deserve.”
Friedson said he expected members of the Board of Education and MCPS leadership to attend the meeting but did not have confirmation on whether McKnight would be there.
Separately, a coalition of the Montgomery County NAACP, the Black Ministers Conference of Montgomery County and others on Thursday evening publicly issued a letter to Silvestre and Board of Education Vice President Lynne Harris to support McKnight. McKnight announced Jan. 22 that the board had asked her to resign and that she was planning to fight for her employment and had hired a lawyer. The school board has not commented on the issue, citing personnel privacy concerns.
The letter noted improvements in reading and math scores under McKnight’s tenure and lauded her for inclusiveness and communication, “Unlike the example [the board is] setting.”
“Moving forward, we ask that you rescind your request that Dr. McKnight step aside and sign an agreement with her to work collaboratively with all sincere education stakeholders in order to do what is best to educate our students for the remainder of her contract,” the letter states.
The letter is co-signed by Rockville Councilmember David Myles; Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin; former school board members Jeanette Dixon and Judy Docca; several clergy members; and Shari Lyn Williams Campbell, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.’s Xi Sigma Omega chapter.
An accompanying news release said the coalition is supporting McKnight because her “vision and commitment to education align with the values of the community and urges the Montgomery County Board of Education to uphold their obligations in fostering a symbiotic and supportive environment for the betterment of our schools and the community at large.”