LEONARDTOWN, Md. – Over fifty St. Mary’s County residents signed an ethics complaint in early August alleging partisan conduct by a school board member. The complaint accuses St. Mary’s Board of Education member Dorothy Andrews of engaging in partisan activities while attending a school function in her official capacity. Andrews was elected to the Board of Education in November 2022 and has been a sitting member since December 2022.
The complaint argues that this activity and numerous social media posts promoting the formation of partisan political organizations in St. Mary’s schools illustrate her inability to effectively represent all interests of the SMCPS community. St. Mary’s Board of Education is nonpartisan and its policy prohibits campaigning or distributing campaign materials in schools or on land rented or owned by the Board of Education.
Complainant Brandon Russell, who spoke at the Board of Education meeting Wednesday, says that the complaint isn’t about just one person. In an interview with The Baynet, Russell says the goal of the complaint is to “make sure partisan politics do not affect education decisions.” Other speakers at the meeting expressed concerns about the example being set for students. Community member Linda Thomas stated, “We expect our students to uphold St. Mary’s Public School’s policies . . . as representatives of the Board of Education I would think that you also, by example, be expected to uphold the policies and not violate them.”
St. Mary’s County Public Schools Ethics Panel will review the complaint later this year. The Baynet was unable to reach Andrews for comment.
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