MoCo teachers union to protest "bullying and ineffective" Kemp Mill ES principal June 20 at 6:30 PM

UPDATE: The teacher's union has postponed tonight's rally after MCPS agreed to discuss the Kemp Mill ES situation with stakeholders.

Montgomery County's teachers union is leading a protest against Kemp Mill Elementary School Principal Dr. Bernard James, which will be attended by teachers, Kemp Mill parents, and community members, this Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 6:30 PM at the Montgomery County Public Schools central office at 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. The Montgomery County Education Association calls James "bullying and ineffective."

The MCEA says Kemp Mill parents and staff have brought their concerns to MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith repeatedly, but have not received an adequate response. They say James has created "one of the worst school climates in the county," at a school with one of the highest percentages of low-income students in the county.

Kemp Mill ES has had a turbulent relationship between staff and leadership for years. Five Kemp Mill teachers and a secretary sued previous principal Floyd D. Starnes in 2012 for millions of dollars, but the harassment suit was settled out of court a year later.