The terms of Johnson's departure are being kept confidential. Following is the press release from the college.
Statement by Montgomery College Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Michael C. Lin to the Montgomery College Community
Memorandum Concerning the Resignation of Dr. Brian K. Johnson
December 22, 2009
MEMORANDUM
To: The Montgomery College Community
From: Dr. Michael C. Lin, Board of Trustees Chair
Subject: Resignation of Dr. Brian K. Johnson
The Board of Trustees would like to announce that, as we begin a new year, Montgomery College will also begin a new chapter in its history. I wish to report that Dr. Brian K. Johnson has resigned his employment as president of the College.
Earlier this semester, your thoughtful input was valuable to the Board of Trustees when we decided a change in presidential leadership was in the best interest of the College and the community we serve. On September 3, 2009, after careful review and thoughtful deliberations, the Board voted not to renew the contract of Dr. Johnson and placed him on administrative leave with pay.
The Board, with the help of College officials, has conducted a review of Dr. Johnson’s expenditures and worked with Dr. Johnson to resolve to the Board’s satisfaction any questions or issues the Board had about the expenditures. The details of the resolution, as well as the terms of Dr. Johnson’s resignation, are confidential and the Board cannot provide any further information.
The Board of Trustees owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to you—the faculty and staff of Montgomery College. During this tumultuous and difficult time you did your jobs with great diligence and dedication, ensuring that the academic excellence of Montgomery College and our students never wavered. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, thank you for keeping this institution focused on its mission of changing lives.
The Board of Trustees would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Dr. Hercules Pinkney. When we asked Dr. Pinkney to come out of retirement to take the role of interim president, we charged him with three priorities: to restore stability to the College, renew confidence in College leadership, and prepare the institution for the next president. Dr. Pinkney’s leadership, combined with today’s announcement and plans for the presidential search, gives the entire Board confidence that these goals will be met.
In closing, I want to assure you that the Board of Trustees is committed to working together on behalf of this wonderful College and to serving as engaged stewards of Montgomery College. You have the assurances of the Board that the presidential search process is of the upmost priority for all of us. For we owe all of you not only a debt of gratitude, but also the selection of a new president who is as committed to the College’s mission as you are.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Brian Johnson Resigns from Montgomery College
Monday, December 21, 2009
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
President Johnson never responded to our request. Your author sent a follow-up request to the college's new Interim President, Hercules Pinkney.
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 WatchNovember 6, 2009
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.
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
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.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
What the Montgomery College Board of Trustees Should Do Now
Last week, the Montgomery College Board of Trustees suspended President Brian Johnson with pay for issues connected to his expenses and leadership. They also hired a retired college administrator as their Acting President. But that’s just the beginning. The board has to do three things to start righting the listing ship.
1. Investigate Johnson.
At this point, Johnson’s expense practices are characterized by allegations and the quality of his leadership is a matter of opinion. Neither are backed by proven facts and yet they are the twin grounds cited by the board for their action. The college should hire a forensic auditor to examine Johnson’s spending. The investigation’s scope should also include testing the veracity of his explanations to the Washington Post, one of which was that his credit card was “compromised” and that some records may have been “fraudulent.” Finally, the results of the investigation must be publicly released.
This is important for four reasons. First, the college must adhere to standards of transparency. It is not a private institution; it requires $228 million of public support. The college’s stakeholders as well as the county’s taxpayers deserve an accounting of what did and did not happen on Johnson’s watch. Second, Johnson is due to receive his full salary (an annual rate of $233,210) through his contract’s expiration in June 2010. If the investigation finds he committed wrong-doing, the college should terminate him for cause. If not, he should be paid in conformance with his contract. Third, Johnson denies the allegations. If he is right, he deserves exoneration. If he is wrong, he should be proven a liar. Fourth, Johnson may sue. If he does, the college will need more than the faculty report and a handful of newspaper clippings and blog posts to defend itself.
2. Do a Real Background Check Next Time.
It is inexcusable that the Board of Trustees apparently had no idea that Johnson once litigated three court cases involving different children with two mothers at the same time. That was a red flag for future legal problems, such as the arrest warrant. This failure of the search process belongs to the board alone.
When the board looks for Johnson’s successor, it should employ a true background check that should not only include academic references and interviews with past colleagues. It should also involve a complete public records investigation including:
Residential history
Criminal, civil and family litigation history, including bankruptcies
Credit check
Property encumbrances, liens and debt
Business history, including any litigation or debt issues involving entities under the applicant’s control
Literature review from LexisNexis and/or Factiva on the applicant, current and former businesses and current and former employers
Any competent private investigator offers the above as a standard work product. Failure to gather this information exposes the college to a second consecutive embarrassment.
3. Tighten Up the Credit Card Policy.
I carry a corporate credit card for my employer. I could never have engaged in the practices that Johnson allegedly committed for two reasons. First, my card has a monthly expense limit. I cannot exceed it without authorization from my supervisor. Second, the card is my personal responsibility. If the employer does not approve an expense I submit, I have to pay it. The employer does not have to seek the money from me. It would be an issue between me and the credit card issuer. If my employer can establish a policy of this kind, there is no reason why Montgomery College (and the rest of county government) cannot.
The real test of the Montgomery College Board of Trustees is not what they do about Brian Johnson. It’s whether they hire another Brian Johnson and allow him to repeat his predecessor’s mistakes. Let’s see if they pass.
Friday, September 04, 2009
SEIU Local 500 Statement on Johnson Suspension
Following is the statement by SEIU Local 500 on the Montgomery College Board of Trustees' decision to suspend President Brian Johnson with pay. SEIU won an election a year ago to represent the college's adjunct professors but still has not concluded contract negotiations with the administration.
STATEMENT OF SEIU LOCAL 500 ON THE DEPARTURE OF DR. BRIAN JOHNSON
Members of the part-time faculty of Montgomery College, represented by SEIU Local 500, are deeply troubled by the allegations leveled against Dr. Johnson. All public servants should uphold the highest standards of integrity, and, at a time when state and county budgets are strained to the brink and everyone is asked to sacrifice, the extravagant waste alleged is unconscionable.
Part-time faculty members are deeply invested in the success of Montgomery College and each student that passes through its doors. We teach 45 percent of courses at the college, outnumber our full-time peers by nearly 2-to-1, and have years of educational and career experience that benefit our students and communities.
As such, we are confident that the Board of Trustees will use this as a teachable moment, and that, when considering candidates to succeed Mr. Johnson, board members will address Montgomery College’s need for an engaged leader. For the college and its students to flourish, we need leadership that understands the value of positive, productive relationships with the many people who make Montgomery County and its educational institutions great.
We also urge the Board of Trustees to avoid allowing the scandal to further delay our contract negotations. Part-time faculty voted overwhelming to form a union some 14 months ago and since that time the college has shown inconsistent commitment to working together to settle a fair first contract.
We stand by our assertion that we deserve to be treated according to the principles of basic fairness: a meaningful voice in governance for the workers who carry out nearly half of all instruction; equal pay for equal work with comparable credentials; and job security.
We believe the college will most effectively move beyond recent developments by forging forward with the work of cultivating a new relationship with its stakeholders, including part-time faculty.
Racists Run Wild in MSM
Embattled Montgomery College President Brian Johnson is African-American. That does not matter to the Trustees and the many other people who are genuinely concerned about the college and the taxpayer funds that support it. But it matters a lot to racists, who have been waging a vicious cyber-campaign against Johnson on the basis of his skin color. Their enablers? The Washington Post and the Washington Times.
Consider the following anonymous comments the Post and the Times have allowed on their sites:
From the Washington Post, 8/28/09: MCALUM
From the Washington Post, 9/2/09:
immigrantjustice...again, you don't know what the h*** you're talking about. If you want to play the race card, then did you know that, on paper, Johnson was the LEAST qualified of the final three candidates. Interstingly enough, both of the others were current College presidents, knew what a president should do, and Johnson was NOT--in fact, the campus he was running was going bankrupt. Should have been a clue to the Board of Trustees.
Also interesting enough, Johnson was the ONLY black candidate and he was the one chosen. Racist? Probably. Wrong that the least qualified candidate was chosen? Absolutely! Talk to the Board of Trustees about that one. All the faculty are doing now is calling this clown on his very shady actions. Again, regardless of his race, the RECEIPTS DON'T LIE!
There's NO WAY to justify, in this economy, hiring a limo and driver ON PUBLIC FUNDS. Or any of the other disgusting actions that he's done. Students at a community college come and go, and MC is a 100% commuter school, so their interest in this is probably mild at best. But when you put in 20 or more years in as a faculty or staff, you have a much more vested interest in maintaing the College's reputation, and getting rid of Johnson is a major step in keeping MC at the forefront of community colleges nationwide.
Now, he's just an embarassment and a laughing stock to us all, except the uninformed, obviously, since you keep sticking up for this clown for some reason.drzimmern1
From the Washington Post, 9/3/09:
I agree with the writer who said Affirmative Action will destroy institutions. Looks like Montgomery College is one of them. A public college down the drain because of negligence and overspending on sheer luxury. Sounds like another country, not America.
sero1
What do we expect? When will our foolish society learn that affirmative action is destroying some of our most vital institutions. Society pays the price. OK, let's hear from all the "do-gooders" out there...
RealityCheckerInEffect
Could he be the MoCo Community College equivalent of NY Times reporter Jason Blair? An affirmative action fiasco? We all know how emphatic academics are about advancing "people of color" over white candidates, so one has to ask: why and how was this man hired? He obviously does not deserve to have, or keep, this job.
charlietuna6661
looks like he is just like most affirmative action people. We be entitled. Put this obozo voter in jail where he belongs.FLvet
From the Washington Times, 9/3/09:
Those Affirmative Action hires always come back to haunt you.
chaddsford1971
It's so sad, by reading factual accounts on WaPo, you have the black leader of Montgomery County Community College stealing and doing a horrendous job. You have the black leader of Metro, Catoe doing a horrendous job. He oversaw the worst accident in Metro's history and now he is shutting down Metro with no notice over a holidy weekend. Brilliant. And you have a black Maryland preacher, who instead of trying to lessen instances of crime (just read the Post stories about all the car jackings and gun weilding suspects being shot -- all black men) in the black community, is trying to thwart the efforts of the gay community to make themselves more stable. So, while each group is doing what the can to make themselves more stable, blacks continue to steal, cheat, lie, and then blame everyone else.
Message to black folk, Obama can't pull this wagon of racial harmony by hiself...at SOME point another black leader has to stop lying cheating and stealin'...okaaaaay!m141934a
Brian Johnson has a lot to answer for. His explanations for his credit card expenditures do not wash, and his arrest warrant for failing to pay child support is inexplicable. The Trustees acted properly in suspending him.
So, at a salary of $220,000, the college did not do a criminal history background check? Or any kind of background check. A loser like this guy must have a long track record of scheming, living high, and otherwise losing public trust. Maybe the Board should be held accountable for their poor choice. This guy is just another in a long list of African American's who lie, steal and cheat the American public. Somehow they belive they are entitled. We have failed the African American community by not instilling a strong work ethic, a sense of accountability, and respect.
geriatric1943
I think that he is now qualified to serve President Obama now.
Idiotnoir
another typical empty blak suit, just like obammaba,. it's time to stop the free passes, no more handing blaks jobs because of the color of their skin, from now on they have to have a resume, and it has to be verified, and they have to have accomplished something, and not something as nebulous as "community organizer" the days of white guilt are over.
But none of that has to do with his race. When racists are given free rein to pounce on Johnson because he is black, they toss slime upon the thousands of people of color who serve this state as elected officials and government employees every day. It is time to crack down on the hate. Lots of us in cyberspace struggle to control comments, including Just Up the Pike, Rockville Central and this blog. Racism is one of the many reasons we prohibit anonymous comments. For all their frothing over journalistic standards, the MSM have no standards for comments and allow their readers to write almost anything.
The bosses of the Washington Post and the Washington Times have a choice. They can stop giving safe harbor to anonymous racists. Or they can lose the confidence of the 2.6 million people of color who live in our Metro area, as well as the whites who deplore hate. Lords of the MSM, decide.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Trustees Weigh in on Johnson (Updated)
Our spies tell us the Trustees of Montgomery College made two decisions tonight on President Brian Johnson.
1. He is on paid administrative leave effective immediately.
2. His contract will not be renewed and former Vice President Hercules Pinkney will serve as the interim head of the college.
Update: Here is the announcement from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
From: Montgomery College Board of Trustees
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:13 PM
To: MC Communications List
Subject: Board of Trustees Decision
We realize that you have been patiently waiting for us to conclude our deliberations.
I can tell you that we, as a Board, have decided to make a change in the leadership of the College. The Board voted not to renew Dr. Johnson's contract. We also voted to place Dr. Johnson on administrative leave, with pay, effective immediately so that the Board can consider further action.
With the new semester underway, we are determined to maintain leadership here at the College. To that end, we are appointing former provost Dr. Hercules Pinkney as interim president and he has agreed to serve starting tomorrow. We look forward to Dr. Pinkney's stewardship.
We arrived at these decisions after much discussion and deliberation. We take our responsibility of oversight of the College seriously and feel this action is in the best interest of the Montgomery College community.
We make this decision for the greater good of Montgomery College and for the entire community at large.
This is what I can tell you at this time. We will keep you informed as we move forward in the best interests of the College.
Dr. Michael Lin
Chair, Board of Trustees
Montgomery College
Johnson Scandal: Maricopa Sheriff "Happy to Put Him in Jail"
The Washington Times has confirmed our reporting on Montgomery College President Brian Johnson's arrest warrant. A representative of the Maricopa County Sheriff's office told the Times they had no information that the child support had been paid, that the warrant was still active and said, "We'd be happy to put him in jail." The Times was also kind enough to provide the attached mug shot.
Johnson Arrest Warrant Case Gets Stranger
Dear readers, in our original post on this subject, we reported that Arizona resident Apryl D. Hunter filed a paternity case against Montgomery College President Brian Johnson in 1998, and that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant on Johnson for failing to pay child support last year. All of that is true, but there is a twist. It’s not Hunter to whom Johnson did not pay child support.
It’s another woman.
Brian Keith Johnson brought a family court case against Carroll Jean Johnson (born 10/12/59) in Maricopa County on 12/3/97. The court issued an order for child support and a joint custody plan on 4/16/98. Johnson last reported current employer information to the court on 1/10/08, after he was hired by Montgomery College. The court ordered the parties to appear for conference on 8/13/08 and filed an arrest warrant on 11/7/08.
Despite Johnson’s filing of current employer information after he was hired by Montgomery College, the last residential address the court had for him was his former home in Pittsburgh. Why?
Even though the Sheriff’s office lists the warrant as active, Johnson claims he has paid the $12,000 in back child support. Here is his statement to the court dated 7/16/09:
Note that the statement does not include an actual copy of a check. If Johnson did pay the money, it is entirely possible that the court did not communicate that fact to the Sheriff’s office.
So here’s the interesting part. Johnson files a family court case against Carroll Jean Johnson on 12/3/97. Johnson files a family court case against Apryl D. Hunter on 8/11/98. Hunter files a paternity claim against Johnson on 9/14/98. So Brian Johnson was litigating three court cases involving different children with two mothers at the same time.
Did any of this appear on Johnson’s background check prior to his hire?
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Montgomery College Arrest Warrant Story Explodes
At this moment, 50% of all entries to the blog are direct visits to the story about Brian Johnson's arrest warrant. That post will unquestionably go down as one of the biggest articles ever to appear on MPW. We have had some of the information for several days but waited until we could confirm 1. the common birthday of the Arizona offender and the Montgomery College President, and 2. the past residence of the Montgomery College President and his wife at the Pittsburgh address listed on the arrest warrant.
Here's a question: why did the Maricopa County Superior Court have the Pittsburgh address as the last one on file? Aren't child support payers responsible for sending their latest address information to the relevant court?
Montgomery College President Wanted for Arrest in Arizona
Brian Johnson, President of Montgomery College, is wanted for arrest in Arizona for failure to pay $12,000 in child support.
Before coming to Montgomery College in January 2007, Johnson worked at the Community College of Allegheny County for three years and spent the prior seventeen years at Mesa Community College in Arizona.
On 9/14/98, Apryl D. Hunter (born 3/22/69) filed a paternity complaint against Brian Keith Johnson in Mariocopa County Superior Court. Johnson agreed to be bound by the results of the paternity test.
On 8/11/98, Johnson brought a family court case against Hunter covering issues of child support and custody. The docket shows a contentious case that was actively litigated for three years. The last current employer information was filed on 3/20/07, after Johnson had come to Montgomery College.
On 10/30/08, the Maricopa County Sheriff issued a child support arrest warrant for Brian Keith Johnson for failing to pay $12,000. The last address they had on file was 7002 Bennington Woods Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15237.
We have no doubt that the Brian Keith Johnson in the Arizona legal records is Brian K. Johnson of Rockville. The birthdate (11/30/56) in the lawsuit and on Johnson’s Maryland voter registration is identical. The Pennsylvania home listed on the arrest warrant was purchased by Brian K. Johnson and his wife, Libra J. Johnson, on 10/4/04 for $372,000 and sold on 4/23/07 for $395,000. That home was owned during the time that Brian Johnson worked at Allegheny College. And the lawsuits were filed at the time that Brian Johnson worked at Mesa Community College.
The Washington Post reports that Johnson paid the outstanding child support, but Maricopa County’s records do not show a payment. According to Maricopa Sheriff’s Deputy David Zebro, the arrest warrant is outstanding but not extraditable, meaning that Johnson can only be arrested for the offense in Arizona.
Johnson’s original salary when he was hired was $220,000. He is married with five children.
