fireworks startled casino patrons as chips got stolen
By Ivy Lyons: Prince George’s County police have confirmed that a set of fireworks startled casino patrons and resulted in a mass exit and property theft at MGM National Harbor.
The fireworks, according to a police spokesperson, were released inside the building, causing some patrons to rush outside of the building.
While police said an investigation is ongoing into the Saturday night event, they acknowledged that property was stolen following the explosion. MGM National Harbor has not confirmed the details of any theft on the property but did say that they are working closely with police to investigate the matter.
Margaret Moore Kellett, a visitor and former reporter in attendance Saturday night, called the night one of the most harrowing of her lifetime.
“All of a sudden, we saw people running,” Moore Kellett told WTOP. “An enormous crowd of people running towards the door.”
Meanwhile, social media posts grew as patrons and area residents voiced concerns about the exodus. An exit that Moore Kellett said was tough to navigate when they had so little information or time to react.
“Another couple was standing there and we understood that it was a bomb threat and an active shooter,” she said.
Some online commenters used similar language, describing an active shooter or loud gunshots in the casino, saying that they should “grab some chips” on the way out. Other reports claimed that something as small as a set of fireworks might have been set off in the area.
Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz said during a briefing Monday that a fire alarm was triggered, “intentionally or not.” And then people headed for the exits as someone set off fireworks.
“And fireworks sound very closely related to gunshots,” Aziz said. “And that even created more panic in the attempt to exit the MGM.”
The chief added that the theft or thefts happened during the panic, but authorities are still working to figure out the exact sequence of events.
“I don’t want to go that far to say it was coordinated, because this could have been a series of events that some opportunist decided to take advantage of, or it very well could have been the same people who triggered the fire alarm, who set off some fireworks, and then subsequently made some thefts,” Aziz said.
WTOP reached out to the security team at MGM National Harbor for information on the event or any impacts to their services — they have declined to comment.
WTOP also reached out to public information officers, managing security personnel, hotel management and communications staff. While some calls were answered with no comment, most calls were cut off after being transferred to staff.
In either event, attendee Margarett Moore Kellett said that more information is needed so that patrons can feel safe visiting the space.
“I would look into this seriously,” she said. “I know that in the past they had had some shooters, and I did not know about this previously.”
The Maryland House of Delegates meets for a special session on Dec. 6, 2021, in Annapolis.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland voters would decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana in November, under a bill approved by the House of Delegates on Friday. The bill comes at a time when many schools in Prince George’s county Public Schools (PGCPS) and Maryland in general are in chaos due to widespread use of drugs and alcohol. In PGCPS, drugs are being used during school hours leading to many staff members to look for a way out into retirement. Some students have become dealers selling small quantities to others.
Drugs and alcohol are some of the most detrimental, yet most common disruptions in teenage brain development. They manipulate the brain’s wiring and affect the way the brain processes and retains information – including the way a teen thinks, focuses, learns, remembers, and concentrates inside and outside of school.
Not only can drugs impair teens’ cognitive development, they can also affect students’ performance in school: their ability to memorize things, concentration in the classroom, prioritization of assignments, likelihood to attend class, and even their overall IQ. However, staff members have been asked not disclose illegal activities involving students in PGCPS in order to help cover up the illicit activity.
The House voted 96-34 for the constitutional amendment, sending it to the Senate. The House also voted 92-37 for a separate bill that includes initial steps that would be taken if voters approve. However, issues relating to licensing and taxation would be taken up by lawmakers next year.
The bill would allow Marylanders more than 21 years old to possess up to 1.5 ounces of recreational cannabis without penalty. Possession of over 1.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis would be reduced to a civil offense rather than a misdemeanor.
Possession of more than 2.5 ounces would be a misdemeanor with penalties of up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000, also starting Jan. 1.
Maryland would be required to develop race- and gender-neutral approaches to addressing the needs of minority and women applicants who seek to participate in the marijuana business. The legislation also creates a fund to help small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses entering the industry.
Currently, 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, have fully legalized marijuana. There also are 37 states, including Maryland, that have legalized medical marijuana. However, Contrary to the beliefs of those who advocate the legalization of marijuana, the current balanced, restrictive, and bipartisan drug policies of the United States are working reasonably well and they have contributed to reductions in the rate of marijuana use in our nation. Marijuana can harm the lungs if users smoke it; and. It causes additional effects—like the “high”—that may interfere with the quality of life of patients taking the drug for serious medical conditions.
Maryland lawmakers on Wednesday laid the groundwork for legalizing recreational marijuana with the initial approval of a House bill detailing how much a person could possess and which former arrests would be expunged, among other things.
The standards will take effect if voters approve a November referendum that would add Maryland to a growing list of more than a dozen states, including Virginia, that have legalized marijuana for adult use.
Maryland’s measure does not allow for the sale of marijuana or detail how it would be regulated but instead ensures people can possess and use marijuana without criminal penalties.
The vote, which came after a 90-minute debate, was largely along partisan lines with Republican lawmakers raising concerns about access to the drug and its use.
They sought, unsuccessfully, to increase the proposed fine for using marijuana in a public place, equating it to alcohol and the penalty imposed for public intoxication. A higher penalty would act as a deterrent, they said.
“This isn’t a slap on the wrist, this is a tickle on the wrist,” House Minority Leader Jason C. Buckel (R-Allegany) said of the $50 fine a person would receive for smoking marijuana in public. “I don’t know how many of you have gotten a speeding ticket where the fine is less than this. Doing 70 in a 55 you are going to pay more than $50.”
Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery) argued against the amendment. He said the “central mission” for him and many of his Democratic colleagues, who pushed for legalization to take effect soon after the referendum passes, is to get nonviolent crimes off the books.
Moon said a survey of adult residents found that half had smoked marijuana. “Half of Maryland residents likely got away with a jailable offense when they did this,” he said. “The more disturbing part of this is that White Marylanders have been getting away with this jailable offense at much higher rates than all the rest of us.”
Under the bill, a person would be able to possess 1.5 ounces or up to 2 plants. The measure allows for automatic expungements of some marijuana-related arrests and resentencing of those convicted of some marijuana-related charges.
Buckel said his amendment was not intended to target a person legally consuming marijuana in their home; neither was it about racial inequities or disparities.
“You should not be able to smoke marijuana near children, near the elderly, near those who do not want to be exposed to your marijuana smoke. Period, end stop,” he said. “I do not care if the 5-year-old little boy or little girl who is getting exposed to the guy on the street corner smoking marijuana is Black, is Brown, is White, is pink-polka dotted.”
The Democratic-controlled House also rejected Buckel’s efforts to allow localities without majority approval of legalization to set their own rules, instead of making the law statewide, saying some counties do not want “this crammed down their throat.”
The House is expected to give the bill final approval this week. It will then head to the Senate where lawmakers will consider another legalization bill that creates a structure for licensing and regulating marijuana.
In other action, the House gave preliminary approval to a bill that requires county boards of education to provide age-appropriate instruction on the risks of sexting as part of a school’s family life and human sexuality curriculum.
The initial vote came after Republicans unsuccessfully attempted to require local school districts to put the curriculum online. The amendment failed, largely along party lines.
Upper Marlboro: (Reform Sasscer) – When the subject of burnout in Education is raised, perhaps the highest profile victim is the educator in Prince George’s county and elsewhere! Without doubt, they are under a lot of stress – especially during a pandemic where they are regularly under increased hours to learn, plan using new technologies, and duties related to health and safety protocols.
But it’s not just the huge workload that COVID-19 has brought with it, and the sometimes terrible decisions that must be made. It’s also routine stressors like administrative work and the IT used to do it. IT can add stress, and it can also alleviate stress. It just depends on the application, how well it has been crafted to meet educators’ needs, and whether educators like it. Electronic recording systems such as schoolmax grading application are a usual suspect for stress, though they can help, too. One teacher was quoted as saying “I am almost done with my career in teaching because schoolmax keep crushing yet we are expected to add grades timely. You cannot have it both ways”, this teacher who wanted to stay anonymous said. There are other comments concerning their experiences in their field. Educator workload intensification is a primary factor in educators choosing to leave the profession early, contributing to workforce shortages that are reaching a critical tipping point.
Following are the experiences and opinions of six veteran teachers from various backgrounds and school organizations, including Parkadale, Laurel, Dr. Henry Wise, Suitland, Charles Herbert Flowers and Tall Oaks. The teachers discuss the stressors of 2022 and tips for their peers throughout the industry to help avoid burnout. We will publish their opinions as we advance their causes. At the moment, Prince George’s county Educator Union (PGCEA) and ACE-AFSCME Local 2250 have become a “water carrier” for CEO Dr. Monica Goldson.
Unions’ role as the bargaining agents for their members allows and/or requires them to negotiate faithfully with local district school boards and administrators and results directly in the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs, or contracts) that govern district and school operations. Education unions such as PGCEA, act as advocates for quality education and investment in education as a public good. This work performs a vital role in framing the narrative about public education and can help shift popular thinking about investment in the resources required to address the problems identified in many of our reports in this blog including drug and alcohol abuse within the school system.
The union representative is there to assist the member, and to protect the Collective Bargaining Agreement rights. The union representative has the right to speak on his or her behalf and to meet with the member privately before the interview with management. However, in PGCPS, this is not how things are happening to protect workers. They request members to hire private lawyers and then collude with the Executive or her representatives to pay off the private attorney hired by staff member. This has been a problem for many years and is part of an organized scheme operating in Maryland to get rid of teachers and other staff members when the litigation is ongoing. A separate post will be shared explaining in detail on how private lawyers hired by employees are bribed to work closely with the Executive, Union, lawmakers and judges to advance corruption and defeat justice for clients in Maryland.
Burnout is a terrible feeling. It can adversely affect behavioral, mental and physical health. And, especially now, it can affect anyone. The pressing daily challenges of the times we find ourselves in have left many, many people from all walks of life feeling overtired to the point of exhaustion – numb and depressed.
Burnout is something everyone must do all they can to protect themselves against. But as we’ve seen in this new era of upsetting news stories, frustrating social distance demands, hectic homeschooling, claustrophobia, disrupted routines and daily repetition, that’s easier said than done.
Upper Marboro: (Reform Sasscer) – Ever since Prince George’s County Public schools (PGCPS) reopened earlier this year, teachers, substance abuse counselors and other staff members have seen a rise in youth drugs and alcohol use across the entire district.
In many cases, local youths travel to Baltimore to purchase heroin and weed, Jenkins said. They typically purchase enough for their own use and enough to sell small quantities to their friends, he said.
The state has reported heroin-related overdoses and others are on the raise.
Marijuana is the most popular drug, Wise High senior Tom said, but more students are also using LSD.
The total number of students using drugs are increasing these days since schools reopened and more students and people are experimenting with more serious drugs than in the past, said a Moses, who serves as a counselor for at risk youth.
Jenna said Wise’s weed addicts use the drugs before and after school. However, teachers and staff say, the students are using it during school hours constantly!!!!
Getting drugs is all about who you know but tends not to happen at school sometimes, Jenna said.
Finding drugs, she said, is “so easy it’s a joke.”
Tommy Hill with UR Medicine Strong Recovery’s Adolescent and Young Adult Clinic, said drug abuse in youth and younger adults declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. She explained that the shutdown forced kids to stay home, which limited their access to dealers.
She said she fears that the return of in-person learning has made drugs more accessible.
“Fortunately, we all get to kind of get back to real life, but the movement of substances is also coming back to life,” Hill said. “Some of the younger kids are moving substances through the school.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 60% of students have reported trying alcohol by 12th grade and about 50% of high schoolers have reported ever having used marijuana. About 20% of 12th graders have reported using prescription medicine that wasn’t theirs.
“It’s the nature of that dynamic and the culture,” Hill said. “It’s not unusual for teens.”
She said parents need to pay attention to changes in their kids’ behavior if they suspect drugs or alcohol usage. These changes may include poor academic performance, increased secrecy, and a change in friendships.
“Active substance use in a family, it ripples out, and affects everyone around the individual. The more beautiful piece of that, though, is that so does recovery,” Hill said.
In PGCPS, the use of drugs and alcohol among the student population is on the rise from middle school through all High schools in the District and has left many staff members powerless and in need of critical support.
Marijuana legalization is a growing trend among American state governments. Advocates of marijuana legalization argue that the drug is a good alternative for pain relief. Additionally, marijuana tax revenue can add to state economies. For instance, Colorado raised $247 million and Washington raised $319 million from taxes and fees related to marijuana in 2017.
Opponents of marijuana legalization often cite the “gateway drug” theory. First popularized in the 1980s, the gateway drug theory proposes that use of “soft” drugs like marijuana increases the risk of using more harmful substances, such as cocaine and opioids.
However, most educators are ready for retirement due to lackluster support from the PGCPS administration over the years concerning this issue of drugs and alcohol abuse within the system. Something needs to be done to reverse the trend and save the staff from unruly youth.
Below are some of the comments as observed recently.
I just stood and watched about 20 students standing in the hall, talking, laughing, playing, cursing, surprised they weren’t drinking and smoking. This was during class time. I didn’t say anything, just stood there observing. Retirement, I’m ready.
Sadly I think this is becoming a norm. They run the schools.
Ooohh, don’t forget about the football game on the field during 4th.
Students & parents run the schools…PGCPS/Board.
Listen…if the admin and security are ok with it, SO AM I! We have to learn to manage what we can…our classrooms.
We are forbidden from saying anything even if they do.
Listen…if the admin and security are ok with it, SO AM I! We have to learn to manage what we can…our classrooms.
We now have one set of bathrooms open per floor because they keep smoking in groups so large you can smell it outside the building. Security is stationed right there to keep them in check.
Something definitely needs to be done. These things causes blood pressure on many teachers and staff to go up.
they vape in the lunch room. They were caught and got detention.
like detention means something to them.
yep and selling it in the bathrooms in middle school!!!
To them it is normal, HELL some parents do it in front of them or with them.
This is everyday at my school too smh… mind you it’s a middle school at that
comforting to know it is not just at our middle school…and sad.
I will never forget the year I worked in a school and a kid walked passed me mid class period. I asked, “where are you supposed to be.” His response was to spit on the floor and cuss. Happy to say things went up from there as we got to know one another better.
I hear you. Bus duty and subbing for specials is the same way. I still try my best to keep them safe but I also know how futile it is.
Me too Retirement! Retirement is on its way! ….. soooo done
It’s an all day, every day thing. It’s so sad. They have no idea what kind of life they’re setting up for themselves and the school system leadership is complicit in the demise of public education. We need to get rid of a watered down discipline policy and set some standards.
This is a result of the student code of conduct being so watered down that there are no consequences for this type of behavior!
Truth. We are put in abusive situations and told to not say or do anything or we as teachers are punished.
This is the new norm…..when that child finishes acting out, they will be right back in the class….I feel sorry for the kids that are trying to learn.
According to CDC, although most youth are in good health, some youth are at an increased risk for behaviors that can lead to poor health outcomes, such as high-risk substance use. The majority of adults who meet the criteria for having a substance use disorder started using substances during their teen and young adult years. Youth with substance use disorders also experience higher rates of physical and mental illnesses, diminished overall health and well-being, and potential progression to addiction.
Brooks-Russell advocates for “parental monitoring,” and says parents should always work to improve communication with their kids. Setting clear family expectations and knowing a child’s friend circle helps parents stay aware of what environment their kids are in outside of the house, she says.
“Parents need to have a conversation and make it clear what their expectations are,” she says. “It’s important to help their kids avoid situations that might cause drug use, such as not knowing who their kids hang out with or leaving their kids home alone. Parent involvement is really crucial,” she said. “All children are going to be at a crossroads at some point … if parents have the right tools, they can help guide them on the right path to make decisions.”
“Educating yourself is important. It helps you, and also helps your kids in the long run. It is the only way for prevention and prevention is the only way to stop this horrible epidemic,” another professor Schmidt said.
Although there might be reports on drug use within PGCPS on substance abuse of school-age youth presented elsewhere in the past, in a corrupt administration with a culture of cover ups, they will always indicate there are no issues sometimes showing school-related alcohol and drug infractions had declined among middle and high schools students between certain years which is not the case in many ways. Sometimes, as the violence escalates, those numbers don’t reflect the reality of the situation.
“I think we need to not be naive about it,” Schmidt said. “They are using — it’s just not on school property in many cases.”
“Things may feel horrible now but there’s so much more time and so much more room to grow … to find the happiness you want,” she said. “Using a substance is definitely just going to make it worse … It may feel good now, but it will do nothing good for you.”
Upper Marlboro: (Reform Sasscer) – Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) will move forward with a plan to consolidate the district’s five alternative schools, despite outcry and pleas to keep the schools in place. Tall Oaks High School and others will be consolidated following a meeting held Thursday night by the PGCPS Board of Education at Sasscer.
The vote to consolidate district’s five alternative schools passed 5 to 4 – 2 during the PGCPS Board meeting Thursday. Shayla Adams-Stafford, David Murray, Joshua Thomas, Belinda Queen, and Kenny Harris, all elected board members, voted in favor of the amendment. Sonya Williams, Pamela Boozer-Strother, Judy Mickens-Murray, and Paul Monteiro voted no. Curtis Valentine and Board Chair Dr. Juanita Miller abstained.
Current and former students and staff at Community Based Classroom, or CBC, in Lanham, have fought throughout the budget process to save their school from consolidation. There has been many protests from the community, with many begging the board to keep the schools open for at-risk students who struggle with traditional schools.
Over the past few weeks, the board received community feedback during listening sessions, during which a number of parents and students asked the board to keep Community Based Classrooms, or CBC open.
But CEO Dr. Monica Goldson has said, this is what the school Board needs at this time. She has assured staff they won’t be impacted with their jobs despite pressure to force some staff members to retire starting with Tall Oaks High School principal forced to retire abruptly and others. There seems to be no sympathy for the families and staff.
“If somebody was closing my school in my community, I would be down there advocating for more information,” Angela Simon said. “Tell me this, tell me this, why are we doing that. And that’s exactly how they were responding. They were trying to save that school. So, I’m very very much appreciative of their efforts.”
Consolidation plans were first presented to the PGCPS school board in last few weeks as part of Budget process. Tall Oaks, currently the smallest school in PGCPS with roughly 200 students, is also one of the area’s oldest. School officials said the closing is being done to reduce spending because of declining enrollment across the county schools and to save money.
However, many parents are still upset with the board’s decision from last night to follow the administration’s recommendation.
Under the new plan, Tall Oaks High School would combine with another alternative school, Annapolis Road Academy. Green Valley Academy and Croom High School — the remaining alternative schools — would also consolidate to offer a ninth to 12th grade program. Green Valley would be redesigned as a sixth to eighth grade program..
According to PGCPS, under the consolidation plan, classroom sizes will remain small, with a maximum number of 15 students per class.
But Gibson and other CBC students at a Thursday rally outside the Sasser Administration Building in Upper Marlboro said it wasn’t about class size, it was about future students not having the opportunity to experience what they call “a loving community.” They also sense something sinister going on based on the way these schools are being hurriedly consolidated and others closed.
“Pretty frustrated. You know it feels like except for four board members, the rest of the board came in with their minds made up and they were going to rubber-stamp the administration recommendation without question,” parent Angela Michael said. “It seems like their priorities are really skewed.”
One of the rally organizers, Rachel Sherman, is a product of the alternative school system. She dropped out of high school when she was 16. She’s now working on her second doctorate.
“When you see them try to defund and shut down programs like this you are saying to these at-risk and disadvantaged students that they don’t matter and we do,” Sherman said.
CEO Dr. Monica Goldson said her plan for the alternative schools has been misconstrued, and that it provides more opportunities for students, not fewer. A district spokeswoman said Goldson was not available for an interview prior to the meeting Thursday and provided a FAQ sheet about the alternative school redesign.
During the meeting, board member Shayla Adams-Stafford pointed out that the closures would save the school system $2.4 million, which is less than .1% of the total school system budget.
She asked why there wasn’t an effort to expand CBC, which has a 95% graduation rate.
On the social media, board member Shayla Adams-Stafford later on wrote:
“The appointed board members and the two elected board members who consistently vote with them voted against:
Increasing our Latinx teaching staff. Currently at 4%
Keeping our Alternative Schools open (they voted to consolidate them)
Providing Restorative Program Training
Paid time to reduce teacher paperwork and overload
I’m so tired yall. This is why we need an ALL ELECTED BOARD.
Child, democracy is under attack every day in every way.”
The budget will go to the Prince George’s County Council next for approval where Councilman Edward Burroughs III is expected to lobby fellow councilmen to reverse the situation and or educate them.
In addition, activists on social media are calling upon the public to Call Sentator Paul Pinsky and others shown here let them know the fiasco shown during the Board meeting on Thursday night, is why you want an all elected board. (410) 841-3155, (301) 858-3155 paul.pinsky@senate.state.md.us; Senator Malcolm Augustine (410) 841-3745, (301) 858-3745; malcolm.augustine@senate.state.md.us; Senator Jim Rosapepe (410) 841-3141, (301) 858-3141 jim.rosapepe@senate.state.md.us; Senator Melanie Griffith (301) 858-3127, (410) 841-3127 melony.griffith@senate.state.md.us; Joanne Claybon Benson (410) 841-3148, (301) 858-3148 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3148 (toll free) e-mail: joanne.benson@senate.state.md.us.
Baltimore, MD: (Reform Saccer) – The Maryland state Board of education has recently dismissed the appeal to remove a former Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) School Board member – 2 months after the man’s term ended and he left the board to become the New council man for District 8.
Former Board of Education Member and now council man Edward Burroughs III was first elected to the Prince George’s county board of Education Since he was a student at Crossland High School. Despite Union shenanigan raised by the school officials, he has been a public servant, rising from the student member on the Prince George’s County Board of Education to its youngest elected member when he was 18. Now at 29, he’s a County Council member representing Prince George’s county District 8.
Citizens for Accountability in PGCPS Board of Ed and the administration filed a petition with the Maryland state Board of education in 2021 asking that Edward Burroughs III be removed for misconduct in office, willful neglect of duty, immorality, and incompetency in office.
The Maryland state Board of education said in its written decision (See attached below) that the appeal now is moot, and the request to issue charges for removal of Edward Burroughs is dismissed.
“Given that Mr. Burroughs is no longer a member of the local board, we find the request for removal to be moot. The test for mootness is whether “there is no longer an existing controversy between the parties, so that there is no longer any effective remedy which the courts [or agency] can provide.” Mallardi v. Carroll County Bd. of Educ., MSBE Op. No. 00-07 (2000) (quoting In Re Michael B., 345 Md. 232, 234 (1997)). We find that Mr. Burroughs’ resignation has eliminated any controversy that may have existed, and that there is no longer an effective remedy.”
We recognize that we previously addressed mootness with regard to a local board member removal action in Dyer v. Howard County Bd. of Educ., MSBE Op. No. 13-20 (2013). We made a determination on the merits of that case even though Mr. Dyer no longer served as a member of the local board. In Dyer, the State Board had considered the removal request and issued charges against Mr. Dyer, thereby initiating the administrative process at the Office of Administrative Hearings (“OAH”). Id. While the matter was at OAH, Mr. Dyer’s membership term expired and he lost his bid for re-election to the local board. Id. Thereafter, the Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) issued a proposed decision finding the Mr. Dyer had committed misconduct in office, and the State Board considered if the matter was moot prior to issuing a final decision in the case. Id.
The Dyer case is distinguishable from the case currently before us for two reasons. First, Dyer was in a different procedural posture than this case. At the time Mr. Dyer lost his seat as a board member, the State Board had already issued charges against him. The evidentiary hearing on the merits of the case had already taken place and, ultimately, the ALJ issued a proposed decision finding that Mr. Dyer had committed misconduct in office. Mr. Dyer argued that his character was tarnished due to the State Board’s charge of misconduct and that the remedy was to issue a final decision dismissing the charges against him. See Dyer at 2. In the case at hand, we merely have a request for removal on which this Board has taken no action.
Second, in Dyer, the State Board applied the “rules of future conduct exception” to the mootness doctrine which is used to hear cases that may otherwise be moot “when the urgency of establishing a rule of future conduct in matters of important public concern is imperative andmanifest….” See Dyer at 5. The Board found that the case “present[ed] a matter of public concern – defining the contours of misconduct in office for local boards,” and proceeded to review the case on its merits and adopted the ALJ’s conclusion that Mr. Dyer committed misconduct in office. Id. Since the time the State Board decided Dyer in 2013, the Board has reviewed numerous cases involving the various bases for removal of local board members, and has provided guidance on the issues in doing so through State Board orders and opinions. See In the Matter of Nicholson, MSBE Order No. OR20-21 (2020); In Re Foote, MSBE Op. No. 19-37 (2019); In Re Harshman, MSBE Op. No. 17-17 (2017); In the Matter of Dimaggio, MSBE Op. No. 16-24 (2016). We find no basis to apply the future conduct exception here.
Therefore, it is this 25th day of January 2022, by the Maryland State Board of Education, ORDERED, that the request to issue charges for removal of Edward Burroughs is dismissed because it is moot.
The dismissal of the petition is the second time Edward Burroughs III has been rebuffed recently on actions he charged against the Prince George’s county School District.
Prince George’s County Public Schools Board Chair Segun Eubankswas order by the court to stay away from board member Edward Burroughs after major assault within PGCPS which was covered up by the court.
In 2018, a judge ordered Prince George’s County Public Schools Board Chair Segun Eubanks to stay away from board member Edward Burroughs after an alleged assault. The altercation happened after a heated vote at a board meeting during the summer of 2018. At that time, a judge signed off on a peace order, similar to a restraining order, that indicated Eubanks could no longer go near Burroughs for at least another week.
Eubanks was ordered to not harass, threaten, or become physically violent with Burroughs.
There is one exception, they are allowed to continue working together on the board.
Eubanks did not appear in court that Monday, but his lawyers were present. Burroughs did appear for the hearing.
Burroughs alleged Eubanks charged at him, grabbed him and threatened to “f— him up” after a Thursday’s board meeting.
“I am worried because I always state my views and they are often different from the Board Chair,” said Burroughs. “I don’t want to continue looking over my shoulder to see if he is going to go out of control.”
Burroughs said things got heated after he publicly criticized Eubanks who helped draw up an $800,000+ severance package for outgoing CEO Dr. Kevin Maxwell. Burroughs called him a “weak negotiator”.
On Friday, Burroughs filed assault charges.
At the time, Eubanks was facing second-degree assault charges. It came with a maximum of 10 years in prison.
“I hope the law is followed,” said Burroughs. “Whatever the penalty is for second-degree assault is should be followed.”
At the time, the press reached out to Dr. Eubanks and he failed to return our calls.
A few days before the trial commenced, Edward Burroughs III was pressured to drop the charges by the Chief of Staff of the State Attorney Aisha Braveboy. Staff member of this blog witnessed the incident at the library within the court house. Later, the State Attorney Aisha Braveboy offered him a job overseeing the Teen Court Program. In the meantime, Dr. Eubanks moved on to work at the University of Maryland as part of public corruption cover up involving the county Executive.
Burroughs recently resigned from his job overseeing the Teen Court Program within the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said Burroughs helped grow the program and wrote legislation expanding the state’s definition of child abuse.
Burroughs’ campaign was not supported by everyone on the board. Some Prince George’s County Council members were missing from his swearing-in. One was said to have given him a middle finger as part of the campaign to retaliate.
In the meantime, more shenanigan continues within the Board of Education for Prince George’s county as politically connected friends led by CEO Monica Goldson and corrupt union operatives get entrenched as part of an organized scheme. There are reports the Prince George’s county Executive is getting ready to appoint a former PGCPS board member to make it easier for swindling of public funds to continue. Not only did County Executive Angela Alsobrooks know about the ongoing public corruption way back as the county State Attorney, she is part of it.
We will keep informing the public about the breach of public trust and/or abuse of position by federal, state, or local officials and their private sector accomplices in the county government and PGCPS.
Stay tuned.
Not only did County Executive Angela Alsobrooks know about the ongoing public corruption way back as the county State Attorney, she is part of it.
By Shomari Stone, News4 Reporter– A mother is in mourning after her 18-year-old son was shot and killed in Prince George’s County on Monday.
Jeanine Jackson hides her tear-filled eyes behind sunglasses while talking about her youngest son, Caron Simpkins.
“I can’t touch him or nothing because he’s gone now,” she said. “I just don’t understand. I want some answers. I want some answers now.”
Homicide detectives said Simpkins was near a playground at about 5:15 p.m. Monday in the 1400 block of Nalley Terrace in Landover, Maryland, when shots rang out.
A woman who did not want to be identified said there was a group of men at the playground before the shooting started.
“It was very close and clear. It’s like literally 20 steps away from my house. It was like eight to 10 shots at one time,” the woman said.
Police drove to the scene and found Simpkins on the ground suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s mother said she wasn’t aware of him being at the playground before, or having any enemies. Now, she and the rest of Simpkins’ family leave behind balloons, teddy bears and flowers at a memorial to honor his memory.
“They took my baby away for nothing, for nothing. Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been that serious,” Jackson said.
She’s left with a hole in her heart – and the belief that tougher gun laws are needed to save lives.
“Put stricter laws out here because they’re not strict enough. It’s too [lenient] for what’s going on out here,” Jackson said.
Homicide detectives are asking for the public’s help with leads and tips. If you have any information, you’re urged to call Prince George’s County police at 1-866-411-TIPS.
Upper Marlboro: (Reform Sasscer) – Prince George’s County Parents are planning more protests, hoping to prevent their proposed closure and defunding of Community Based Classroom.
With the Governor restoring $140 million of educational funding for Baltimore city and Prince George’s county, there is no excuse to proceed with the proposed closure and defunding of Community Based Classroom the flyer says. #saveCBC.
Organizers with #SaveCBC will meet at Upper Marlboro Court House at 14735 Main St, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 at 4:30 PM on February 24th, 2022. From there, the groups will march to Sasscer Administrative building 14201 School Ln, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. Rally will commence from 6:00PM to 9:00PM.
Earlier this month, board members voted to close or merge a number of school campuses – of which Tall Oaks High school is one.
Under the FY 2023 proposed school budget, the allocations for two schools, Tall Oaks and CBC, were cut. As part of what’s referred to as a “redesign” in budget documents, the five alternative schools would be consolidated into two high schools and a middle school.
According to a Prince George’s County schools statement on the budget released in December, the budget reflects the Board of Education’s priorities and “addresses strategies for closing funding shortfalls based on the nearly 9,000-student gap in projected and actual enrollment.”
A Prince George’s County Public Schools’ presentation on the budget calls the move to consolidate the five schools “critical” because it will “enhance student connections to comprehensive schools.” The plan would also, according to the document, save $2.5 million in general funding.
The proposals have sparked protests for weeks, including a lawsuits by two school administrators. The two lawsuits are part of major corruption involving the Prince George’s county school system as part of abuse of process. This is because, the attorney (Mr. Mitch Batt) for the administrators uses the court system to enrich himself willfully to the detriment of his clients. To achieve the diabolical agenda, corrupt lawyers led by Mr. Batt are working closely with Mrs. Shani Whisonant (PGCPS Lawyer) and others to game the system.
Upper Marlboro: (Reform Sasscer) – Prince George’s County Courts plans to host a virtual community forum to Thursday February 24th, 2022 to discuss a variety of issues on how Guardianship, youth care, services for people in need and other topics in order to provide better services.
The forum on February 24th, 2022 are part of an assessment to identify any gaps in cases involving conservatorship, youth care, services for people in need. A statement from the Administrative Office of the Courts said. The public is invited to join the forum but must register to attend as part of zoom online application.
These situations are devastating to the individuals and their families and authorities must do everything they can to ensure our court professionals are trained. They must also be equipped to serve and at the same time punish officials operating under color of law for selfish interests. For example, Attorney (Mr. Mitch Batt) uses the court system to enrich himself willfully to the detriment of his clients. To achieve the diabolical agenda, corrupt lawyers led by Mr. Batt are working closely with Mrs. Shani Whisonant (PGCPS Lawyer) and others tied to the administration to game the system.
JUDICIAL CORRUPTION. All sectors of society rely on the courts to sanction corrupt officials, politicians, citizens and businesspeople, who steal resources and weaken integrity in public and private life. When the judicial system is corrupt, justice cannot be done.
Two type of Judicial corruption
The two most common types of judicial corruption are political interference and bribery. Political interference is when politicians or staff from the legislative or executive branch meddle in judicial affairs or collude with judges in fraudulent schemes.. … The second most common form of judicial corruption is bribery. Both of these are very widespread here in Prince George’s County.
FILE – In this Oct. 20, 2014 file photo, Maryland Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan answers questions during an interview with The Associated Press in Baltimore. Following our exposure earlier this morning in our expose, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) submitted a supplemental budget to the legislature on Tuesday that directs $139.9 million for programs outlined in the state’s multi-year education reform plan that advocates and lawmakers had argued was missing from the governor’s initial budget. There has been bickering which has led Governor Larry Hogan withholding the money for Prince George’s and Baltimore city jurisdiction. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Following our exposure earlier this morning in our expose, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) submitted a supplemental budget to the legislature on Tuesday that directs $139.9 million for programs outlined in the state’s multi-year education reform plan that advocates and lawmakers had argued was missing from the governor’s initial budget. There has been bickering which has led Governor Larry Hogan withholding the money for Prince George’s and Baltimore city jurisdiction.
The allocation is part of a larger supplemental appropriation of $480 million announced Tuesday. That proposal also includes $230.7 million for Medicaid programs, $1.2 million for retention and recruiting bonuses for the beleaguered Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and $50 million for a Rural Maryland Economic Development Program that Hogan announced last week.
“With this supplemental budget, we are providing critical resources to support Marylanders’ top priorities,” Hogan said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the General Assembly in the coming weeks to secure a final budget that delivers record investments in education, major tax relief for families and retirees, and more support for police and first responders.”
After Hogan unveiled his spending plan for fiscal year 2023 last month, the Department of Legislative Services analysts concluded that the spending plan did not include $139.7 million for specific programs stipulated in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan. The largest chunk of disputed funding was $125.5 million specifically intended for the Baltimore City and Prince George’s County school systems.
The funding, called the “education effort adjustment,” is meant to provide extra money to local jurisdictions unable to raise enough taxes to fund their local shares of education reform costs. Legislative analysts say that the adjustment should amount to $99 million for the city of Baltimore and $26.5 million for Prince George’s County in the next fiscal year.
The governor’s office previously said that the state was not provided with the necessary data to calculate the education effort adjustment for the upcoming fiscal year.
The other unfunded Blueprint programs included training for teachers, curriculum support and expert review teams, which will visit schools and analyze the extent to which the Blueprint is being implemented.
Soon after Hogan’s announcement, Sen. Cory McCray (D-Baltimore City), chair of Baltimore’s Senate delegation, called the move “a profoundly restorative step in the right direction” and thanked advocates who pushed for Blueprint programs to be fully funded.
“The onus was on the Governor to put the money where it would count — into the districts that need it most. By taking measures to correct prior missteps, Governor Hogan has chosen to contribute to the triumph of Baltimore City and its pupils,” McCray said in a statement.
Strong Schools Maryland, an advocacy group that was a part of the coalition that pushed Hogan to fully fund education reform programs, underscored that the goal of the reform effort is to create a world-class public education system in Maryland. “Fully funding the law is the first step to creating that system, and it seems the Governor has finally agreed to allow that to happen,” the organization’s executive director, Shamoyia Gardiner, said in a statement.
Cheryl Bost, the president of the Maryland State Education Association, said she was glad to see Hogan “restoring the funding.” “We need a governor who is not going to do cuts first and then restoration — we’d like to see a governor who adds on to that budget.”
Other programs included in the supplemental budget introduced Tuesday include:
$21 million to support emergency medical service workers;
$176.5 million in new federal funding to support housing initiatives such as the Homeowner Assistance Fund;
$800,000 for midge spraying in Baltimore County; and
$303,000 to support recruitment and retention of veterans’ cemetery workers.
Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s), sat on the committee that nominated AIB members and is partisan, inconsistent.It does not have the aggressive representation of all Maryland senators
democrat Rashad D. Lloyd is challenging Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s)in the Maryland Democratic primary this June.
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