Two MCPS administrators cleared in misconduct probe, report suggests policy revisions

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Senior staff and administrators with Montgomery County Public Schools listed in a complaint have been cleared of alleged misconduct, according to a report from the county Inspector General’s office.

The memorandum was released Wednesday after the complaint was received in Dec. 2023, according to the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General (OIG). 

The complaint alleged two MCPS administrators made inappropriate jokes and statements of a sexual nature directed toward a subordinate, with the supervisor of the administrators reportedly aware of the alleged incident.

"The complaint also alleged that a senior MCPS official was present at a social gathering during which an MCPS employee was intoxicated and attempted to remove their clothing in front of MCPS colleagues," the memorandum states. "Lastly, the complaint alleged that another MCPS administrator was involved in an improper romantic and/or sexual relationship with a subordinate and that a senior MCPS official was aware of the relationship while it was ongoing."

According to the memorandum, the written complaint lacked details that would have been important to the investigation, such as dates, locations, and other potentially corroborating information, and the complainant ignored requests for an interview and additional information.

The report went on to say the attempts to corroborate allegations were "further hindered" by an administrator with MCPS who provided "evasive answers to direct questions." The administrator also allegedly "made the unlikely claim" that he or she did not recall events noted in the complaint.

The report has caught the attention of a local parents’ group, which has evolved into a watchdog group according to member Janis Zink Sartucci. The organization began as a group advocating for school board positions but over time, they became a platform and reporting tool for parents and teachers with school-related issues.

"We seem to be in an endless cycle of pointing out the problems and then moving on and never doing anything about the problems," Zink Sartucci said.

She added that the vagueness of the report was concerning.

"We need to know who we’re dealing with. We need to know what kind of level of employee we’re talking about," she said. "If it is a superior and subordinate position involved, then we need to know that, and we need to make sure the code of conduct and the code of ethics are written immediately, so this doesn’t happen again. If it does, it can immediately be addressed."

FOX 5 reached out to the OIG for clarification on how involved parties are connected to the school district, but we were told they do not disclose information about the complainant’s identity in compliance with county law.

The investigation concluded there were no substantial violations of MCPS policy or regulation by the individuals in the complaint, but it noted there were opportunities to bolster transparency and limit conflicts of interest. 

One recommendation was that MCPS establish requirements mandating anyone serving in a leadership position to disclose to their supervisor any romantic and/or sexual relationships with employees within their supervisory chain.

The OIG also recommended MCPS strengthen their policy requirements mandating employees fully cooperate and provide truthful information when questioned as subjects or witnesses in an investigation.

MCPS released a statement Wednesday in response to the memorandum:

"The Chief of MCPS’ Office of Human Resources and Development received accusations of alleged violations of policy by MCPS senior staff and administrators. For this reason, Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight directed her Chief of Staff to immediately inform the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and asked her office to investigate. The OIG did not find any violations of MCPS policy or regulations by those identified in the complaint. The complainant himself ignored repeated requests from the OIG to connect for information and an interview. We appreciate the very quick and thorough work of Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi and her team for looking into this matter and, as the report on the MCPS investigations process is finalized and released, we will continue to give full consideration to additional forthcoming recommendations, as our goal is always to ensure a safe teaching and learning environment for students and staff."