Recently, B-CC’s administration faced criticism following a Public Safety Community Meeting hosted by Council Member Andrew Friedson in the on-campus auditorium.
Those who attended the meeting at B-CC were anticipating the presence of the school’s principal, Dr. Mooney. One parent who spoke at the meeting said, “Most disappointing was the absence of Dr. Mooney, who is charged with making crucial decisions in emergency situations.”
For several days, there was uncertainty amongst students and staff about principal Dr. Mooney’s future at B-CC; speculation ranged from rumors about impending termination to speculation that Mooney had been asked by the MCPS Central Office to not attend Friedson’s meeting.
The staff decided to protest in support of Dr. Mooney. However, after Mooney and Dr. Peter Moran, Chief of School Support and Improvement, held a staff meeting on the afternoon of March 17, the protest was then changed to a Celebration of B-CC. Staff members stood together in the main lobby to greet students on the morning of March 18.
B-CC English teacher Mr. Arden told The Tattler, “Part of what our staff was responding to is the sense that people were making decisions or coming to conclusions about things that went well or poorly, about things that we did well or poorly as a staff, about what our students were or were not responsible for, without actually involving us in the discussion, the people who experienced it. Over the course of about a week, [staff] wrote over 100 letters to various central office personnel, insisting on being part of that conversation and about being heard about the things that we experienced.”
In an email sent to all B-CC staff after the meeting, Mooney said, “I was never told I would be terminated and was not asked to resign as principal at B-CC. However, I did have a meeting with the Superintendent and the Chief of Schools [Moran] about communication and the sense of urgency in the supervision/monitoring of school operations. With regards to the recent safety community meeting held at B-CC by Councilman Friedson, at no point was I directed not to attend the meeting but instead expressed a preference to not attend due to a prior commitment which my supervisors supported.”
The community meeting followed two separate gun-related incidents that put B-CC on lockdown twice within one calendar week. The first lockdown occurred on Feb. 19 when B-CC was informed of an off-campus fight that involved shots fired. Six days later, on Feb. 25, another lockdown was called after a student reported that a classmate had brought a gun to school; the lockdown was ended soon after authorities learned the gun in question was an airsoft gun rather than an actual firearm. Community members were invited to attend, raise any concerns, and share thoughts on public safety.
During the discussion, participants posed questions about the administration’s response to the incidents and lack of presence at the meeting itself. MCPS officials — Marcus Jones, Chief of Security and Compliance for MCPS, and Dr. Peter Moran — were present at the meeting. Amy Daum, Commander of District 2 Police, and Daryl McSwain, Chief of Maryland National Capital Park Police, were also in attendance.
