Baltimore County schools superintendent may have violated relocation requirement, report finds
Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) Superintendent Myriam Rogers may have violated a relocation requirement outlined in her contract, according to a report from the Maryland Inspector General for Education (OIGE).
The OIGE report, released Tuesday, found that Rogers is required under her contract to live in the county within one year of her term. However, documents show Rogers is not listed as an occupant in the apartment address that she provided to the district.
Complaint prompts investigation
In December 2024, the OIGE received a complaint that Superintendent Rogers was working remotely at least once a week without approval from the Board of Education (BOE).
While conducting interviews on that complaint, the OIGE learned that Rogers was not living in Baltimore County.
Several interviews revealed that on multiple occasions, Rogers was picked up from a shopping center in College Park allegedly to work remotely during school hours.
Rogers' contract, dated June 13, 2023, did not mention remote work, but did require that Rogers relocate to Baltimore County, according to the OIGE report.
BCPS provided documents that showed they paid expenses for Rogers to relocate in September 2024.
In January, Rogers changed her address. The investigation found the provided address was an apartment, and a review of the lease showed Rogers was not listed as an occupant.
In checking utility records, the OIGE found that Rogers was not actively paying for the apartment, and Maryland land records showed Rogers owns a home outside of the county, which matches the address listed on her driver's license.
The OIGE's investigation did not confirm that Superintendent Rogers was working from home, and her contract did not prohibit her from doing so.
The investigation did find that Rogers may have violated her contract by not meeting the deadline for the residency requirement.
OIGE offers recommendations to BCPS
Following the investigation, the OIGE recommended that BCPS determine if the residency requirement is applicable for Superintendent Rogers after finding that several Maryland counties do not require their superintendent to live in the county they oversee.
The BCPS Board of Education was also advised to review the superintendent's employment conditions and ensure all parties understand the requirements.
The OIGE recommended that BCPS employees follow established procedures after finding that the administrative employee in charge of coordinating Superintendent Rogers' move provided the moving company with a personal email, which could be a violation of records management policies.
Overall, the OIGE determined that the issue is a contractual matter between the superintendent and the Board of Education.
BCPS officials responded in a statement, saying, "Dr. Rogers is a resident of Baltimore County. Her driver's license, voters' registration and other personal documents reflect this address. Documents provided to the Office of the Inspector General for Education (OIGE) indicate that she completed her move to the county in September 2024, and the Board of Education leadership was made aware of the timeline of her move. Her focus remains on serving the 110,000 students of Team BCPS and moving the school system forward."
