A Baltimore lawyer who once worked for the city is suing the City Council and Mayor Martin O'Malley for allowing the Port Discovery building near the Inner Harbor to be used as a public high school.
Darcy Massof, who was chief counsel for the Baltimore Department of Social Services before going into private practice, filed a lawsuit yesterday in Circuit Court saying that the lease of the Port Discovery building to Baltimore public schools is illegal and that the city could be losing up to $5 million in potential business development deals by holding classes there.
City Solicitor Thurman W. Zollicoffer Jr. could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit.
Ninety ninth-grade students began classes this fall at the National Academy Foundation High School, which occupies five classrooms at Port Discovery. The curriculum focuses on finance, tourism and technology.
Massof's lawsuit also contends that the building is unsuitable for a high school because of its proximity to The Block, an area known for bars, strip clubs and other adult entertainment.
"This cannot be a healthy high school experience for these kids," Massof said in a news release. "It can only distort their values and outlook."
The Port Discovery building is being leased by the Baltimore Children's Museum, a nonprofit organization that does not pay taxes to the city for use of the property. The museum has a one-year lease with the school system for $75,000.
Massof's lawsuit contends that the museum is in violation of its lease agreement, which prohibits the assigning or subleasing of the property without the city's permission.
"The sublease was not consented to by the city and the $75,000 in rent has been collected by the Baltimore Children's Museum for its own purposes," said Massof"s lawyer, Anton Keating, in a release.
Keating said he hopes the suit will encourage a fresh look at what should be done with the 80,000-square-foot building at 35 Market Place.
"No one thought this through. There should not be a high school there," Keating said yesterday in an interview. "The Board of Estimates should have a look at this and decide."