MCPS misused emergency funds in sexual harassment investigation, new OIG report says [Video]

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. – The Office of the Inspector General found Montgomery County Public Schools misused hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a report released on Thursday.

The five-page report indicates MCPS improperly used ’emergency procurements’ on crisis management and communication services totaling $210,000.

This all relates to the controversy surrounding Dr. Joel Beidleman, the former middle school principal accused of bullying and harassment and the way the district handled misconduct complaints to respond to media.

The inspector general’s investigation began after their office received a hotline complaint in April.

Janis Sartucci with the watchdog group Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County said this was all about damage control.

“This was all about the reputation of the Board of Education and protecting the individuals on the Board of Education without a thought in the world to what’s going on in the classroom and what students need,” Sartucci said.

Sartucci added that unchecked spending like this is one of the biggest problems …