Prince George's County school board members could face removal after ethics investigation
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The ethics panel for the Prince's George's County School Board is recommending that six elected board members either resign or be removed following an investigation.
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It comes as those same board members are petitioning the state to remove the board's chair.
The ethics findings are not public, but documents were reviewed by FOX 5's Lindsay Watts. They were also anonymously sent to elected leaders throughout the county.
The ethics panel is recommending the resignation or removal of Edward Burroughs, David Murray, Raaheela Ahmed, Joshua Thomas, Kenneth Harris and Shayla Adams-Stafford. The panel recommended sanctions for Belinda Queen.
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Only the state board of education can remove a board member from office.
Some board members have hired attorneys, and three are represented by former Prince George's Co. State's Attorney Glenn Ivey.
He says he first learned of the allegations when they were sent to his home.
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"I know it's supposed to be confidential, but somebody took it upon themselves to anonymously mail them around to elected officials in the county," said Ivey. "And I happen to live with two of them."
The ethics findings say board members violated policy when they hired a board lobbyist and when they decided to reorganize the board office, making staffing changes and prompting a "federal discrimination lawsuit."
"I think they are riddled with inaccuracies and false on their face," said Ivey of the findings.
Some board members are also accused of a pay-to-play scheme involving a labor union they received campaign contributions from.
Ivey said that the actual resolution passed by the board does not name the labor union in question and disputed the notion that there was anything unethical about the campaign donations.
Board chair Dr. Juanita Miller called for this ethics investigation soon after she was appointed by the county executive as board chair.
More recently, this group of elected board members petitioned the state to have her removed, making their own misconduct claims against Miller.
While there was a public board meeting Wednesday night, the primary discussion about the ethics investigation happened in executive session.
Six members, mostly appointed, voted to accept the findings. The seven members under investigation were barred from voting.
Also on Wednesday, newly appointed board member Judy Mickens-Murray was introduced after she was selected to fill an open position.
FOX 5 reached out to Dr. Miller and vice-chair Sonya Williams about the ethics findings, but received no response.