Weast refuses to testify about MCPS status

Superintendent Jerry Weast refused to answer a County Council member's question about whether or not he thinks MCPS is a state or county agency.

Weast and the school board have tried to duck the Inspector General's investigation and refuse to cooperate with the Seven Locks probe by claiming that Montgomery County Public Schools is a state entity and therefore not within he legal purview of the county IG.

"Is the school system governed by county law?" Council President George L. Leventhal asked school board vice presidente Sharon Cox at a March 2 hearing.

Cox claimed, in lockstep with the February legal argument of fellow board member Steve Abramoff, that MCPS "is a state agency that must comply with state and county law."

Weast would say nothing.

"After hearing Mrs. Cox's response, Mr. Leventhal, at-large Democrat, asked to hear from Superintendent Jerry D. Weast or Board of Education President Charles Haughey," the Washington Times reports.

"Mr. Weast didn't respond," according to the Times.

"But, Mr. Haughey replied: 'Because of our status as a state agency, we have to be careful about how we respond to you and to your inspector general.'"