A Montgomery County school principal sexually harassed and bullied employees who worked for him, and had a sexual relationship with a subordinate, the county's inspector general confirmed in a report released Friday.
Dr. Joel Beidleman "made repeated comments about the appearance of female subordinates, directed offensive comments and jokes of a sexual nature at subordinates, bullied subordinates, and had a sexual relationship with a subordinate over which he had supervisory responsibility" while he was principal at William H. Farquhar Middle School, Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi said in the report.
"Beidleman’s behavior created an environment where some staff members reported being afraid to disagree with him on professional matters, worried about their job security, and felt intimidated and disrespected," the report said.
Nearly a dozen employees reported being bullied by Beidleman, according to the report.
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Beidleman was poised to be promoted to principal of Paint Branch High School, despite being under investigation for possible sexual harassment. That promotion was put on hold when The Washington Post reported in August the allegations against him.
An independent investigation commissioned by the school board then found "significant and troubling" failures by senior management in the promotion of Beidleman.
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"The Board of Education will put policies and systems in place that nurture and support a culture of respect where employees feel safe and confident that complaints or concerns will be addressed, the Montgomery County Board of Education said in a statement.
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