PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The Maryland State Board of Education has requested the State Comptroller to withhold some funding from the Somerset County Board of Education over a recent legal counsel hire.
On Nov. 13, the Maryland Inspector General for Education issued a report alleging the Somerset County Board of Education had violated a state mandate in firing their previous legal representation and hiring Schifanelli Law, LLP. The Inspector General said the Somerset BOE made those decisions behind closed doors when policies required they be made in public.
The Somerset BOE has since pushed back on any allegations of wrongdoing.
During a Dec. 9 meeting, the Maryland State Board of Education addressed the Inspector General’s Report, underscoring that while deliberation in closed session meetings is permissible, final action taken by the Somerset Board must be done in public.
The Somerset BOE’s alleged failure to place the legal counsel contract approval on a public agenda and adopt it in open session, the State Board of Education also concluded, violated statutory requirements.
In response, the State Board voted unanimously to direct the State Superintendent to ask the State Comptroller to withhold funding from the Somerset County Board of Education in the amount of the legal services contract if the Somerset BOE does not publicly adopt that contract. The State Board of Education has given the Somerset County BOE 30 days to comply with directive before the funding is withheld.
The Somerset County Board of Education is currently scheduled to hold their next regular meeting on Dec. 16.
