Some Prince George's County public school teachers and school board members are blasting school system leaders after learning some employees have received significant pay raises.
Teachers protested outside of the Prince George's County Public Schools administration building in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Thursday.
"It's very clear that there's a lack of oversight and accountability at the top," said Edward Burroughs, a school board member.
Burroughs is one of three school board members who signed a letter to County Executive Rushern Baker that says the raises are unjustifiable and violate the teachers union agreement. Some central office employees have received raises as high as 10 to 12 percent, according to the letter.
News4 has confirmed that eight of the school system's human resources employees received the raises.
Burroughs claims the salary changes violate union agreements and it is a slap in the face to other employees.
"We need to correct this issue. We need to hold all wrong-doers accountable, anyone who acted inappropriately accountable," he said.
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Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the Prince George's County Education Association, has called for the school superintendent Kevin Maxwell to step down.
"We are here today because once again, the leadership of our school board that our members and students and the community expect and deserve when it comes to accountability and transparency," Dudley said.
Several scandals have made headlines under Maxwell’s leadership, including founded allegations of system-wide grade tampering. A state-ordered audit found hundreds of students, maybe more, graduated from Prince George's County high schools though they didn't meet state requirements.
County Executive Rushern Baker, who selected Maxwell says he's standing by the superintendent.
"I haven't seen anything that, you know, that has happened in our school system that would cause me to believe that Dr. Maxwell is not leading our school system in the right direction," Baker said.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan recently called for Maxwell's dismissal.
Baker is campaigning for the Democratic Party’s nomination to run for governor and called Hogan’s statement politically motivated.
