Scope of official wrongdoing could be 'worse than Clarksburg'

The Inspector General report shows the Seven Locks school scandal to be "worse than Clarksburg" with wide-reaching official manipulation, misrepresentation and deception, according to a Montgomery County civic leader.

Wayne Goldstein, First Vice President of the Montgomery County Civic Federation, writes in the Sentinel that the IG report "tells of MCPS officials who engages in misinformation, misdirection and even deception related to the unnecessarily convoluted processes and decisions made" to build the Kendale school instead of modernizing and enlarging the existing school on Seven Locks and Bradley.

"The report reveals that MCPS officials claimed nonexistent community support for the new site, misrepresented statements by community leaders about the new site, overstated the costs to build on the existing site and failed to share the most cost effective alternative to the Board of Education (BoE) and the County Council.

"While the IG showed remarkable restraint in passing any judgments, it is clear that MCPS officials engages in outrageous behavior, even if this is 'just' an isolated incident."