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A Westminster woman running for a seat on the Carroll County Board of Education was terminated by the school system last week. She says the firing was an "act of desperation" to smear her name before the Nov. 8 election.
Mary Kowalski, a former instructional assistant at Robert Moton Elementary School, was fired Sept. 29, Carroll County Public Schools spokeswoman Carey Gaddis confirmed Tuesday. Kowalski had been employed at the school system since Aug. 25, 2004. The school system would not comment about the termination of Kowalski's contract because the issue is a personnel matter.
Gaddis said the school system could only comment on Kowalski's termination if she were to give permission for her personnel file to be discussed. However, Kowalski said she would not give written permission to the school so that the Times could view her file, or so that the school system could discuss it.
Kowalski, one of four candidates running for two open seats on the school board, said in an interview on Friday that her firing was because of her stand against corruption and
Retired Carroll County teacher Marsha Herbert, of Westminster, Howard County teacher Julie Kingsley, of Mount Airy, and actuary Donna Sivigny, of Finksburg, are the other three candidates seeking a seat on the school board. Kowalski finished fourth among the five candidates in April's primary election, more than 1,400 votes behind Herbert and 68 votes ahead of sitting Board of Education President Jim Doolan, who announced he was no longer seeking re-election ahead of the primary but after the deadline to have his name removed from the ballot.
After the primary, Kowalski said she began being harassed by her supervisors, despite having what she called "top notch" evaluations throughout her career.
"It's a shame that that's the way that our public school [system] operates," Kowalski said.
While Jon O'Neal, assistant superintendent of administration, could not speak specifically about Kowalski's termination, he did say that when any employee contract is terminated, there is a process ensuring the employee has due process and the right to respond to any concerns.
Most times, he said, progressive discipline is used. This would typically start with a warning, then a reprimand, then a suspension and finally termination. But, O'Neal said, everything is done on a case-by-case basis.
An employee will have at least one, if not more, due process meetings, he said. In those cases, the employee can choose to be represented by their union or another form of representation.
Kowalski was a member of the Carroll Association of School Employees, the bargaining unit that represents clerical employees, instructional and special education assistants, and licensed practical nurses. CASE President Diane Deal confirmed that Kowalski was a member of the union but could not comment on the situation, because the group does not discuss personnel issues involving its members.
Kowalski would not speak to the Times when reached by phone Tuesday, though she said she was busy preparing for Thursday's Board of Education forum at the Community Media Center, at 1301 Washington Road in Westminster. All four candidates are expected to participate in the forum, which begins at 7 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend the forum, or may watch it live on Comcast Channel 19 or at www.carrollmediacenter.org. It will also be rebroadcast on Channel 19 several times before the election.
Anyone with questions for the candidates may send them to elections@carrollmediacenter.org prior to or during the forum.
emily.chappell@carrollcountytimes.com
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