Montgomery College Breaks State Law, Ignores TWO Public Information Act Requests

Montgomery College has broken Maryland's Public Information Act (PIA), refusing to answer two PIA requests submitted by MPW concerning former President Brian Johnson's expenses.

Last summer, your author sent this PIA request to President Brian Johnson. Under state law, the college had 30 days to respond to this request.

August 26, 2009

Brian K. Johnson, Ed.D.
President, Montgomery College
900 Hungerford Drive, Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20850

Dear President Johnson:

This is a request under the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article § § 10-611 to 628. I wish to inspect all records in your custody and control pertaining to the following:

All itemized expenses, charges and reimbursement requests submitted by or on behalf of President Brian K. Johnson, including the disposition of any allowances.

If all or any part of this request is denied, I request that I be provided with a written statement of the grounds for the denial. If you determine that some portions of the requested records are exempt from disclosure, please provide me with the portions that can be disclosed.

I also anticipate that I will want copies of some or all of the records sought. Therefore, please advise me as to the cost, if any, for obtaining a copy of the records and the total cost, if any, for all the records described above. If you have adopted a fee schedule for obtaining copies of records and other rules or regulations implementing the Act, please send me a copy.

I look forward to receiving disclosable records promptly and, in any event, to a decision about all of the requested records within 30 days. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions regarding this request, please telephone me at 301-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Adam Pagnucco
Author, Maryland Politics Watch

President Johnson never responded to our request. Your author sent a follow-up request to the college's new Interim President, Hercules Pinkney.

November 6, 2009

Hercules Pinkney
President, Montgomery College
900 Hungerford Drive, Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20850

Dear President Pinkney:

Enclosed is my request under the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article § § 10-611 to 628, dated August 26, 2009. Over two months have passed since I mailed the request, far beyond the 30-day deadline imposed by state law. I am writing to ask you to respond.

I am copying Attorney General Doug Gansler’s office to ensure compliance.

Sincerely,

Adam Pagnucco
Author, Maryland Politics Watch

Once again, more than 30 days have passed. The Washington Post apparently submitted a similar request and received at least some records. But the college has never responded to MPW.

Montgomery College has twice violated the Public Information Act. The second violation occurred under the administration of Interim President Hercules Pinkney, who allegedly brought a "calming spirit" to the college after Johnson's departure but provoked a declaration of impasse from adjunct professors before settling their first contract. This institution will receive over $200 million in taxpayer funding in Fiscal Year 2010. It is imperative that the college obey state law in order to receive its taxpayer appropriations. On behalf of our thousands of regular readers, we demand that the college answer our Public Information Act requests.

NOW.