Since January 2025, we have become aware of multiple instances in which confidential matters concerning the Somerset County Board of Education and Somerset County Public Schools were improperly disclosed to the Somerset Education Association and subsequently circulated on social media by its members and supporters. Based on the nature and timing of these disclosures, we suspected that Superintendent Ava Tasker-Mitchell was the source of the leaked information.
To investigate this concern, a lawful Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request was submitted to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) seeking correspondence between Superintendent Tasker-Mitchell and the MSDE.
The response confirmed that Tasker-Mitchell had in deed disclosed confidential information while identifying herself as a Somerset County “Resident”—despite acting in her official capacity as Superintendent. A private resident would not have access to such information, which could only have originated from closed session meetings attended by Tasker-Mitchell in her professional role.
Under the guise of a resident, this confidential information was then used by Tasker-Mitchell to file a petition with the MSDE seeking the removal of the elected Board Chair, Matthew Lankford. As a result, sensitive details from closed sessions—including matters related to district security, personnel matters, legal counsel, internal deliberations, and protected contract information—were made public. These disclosures were evident in the MPIA response, which despite some redactions included numerous unredacted items (specifically items 39, 44, 45, 50, 69, 77–83, 100–112, and 117–118) that were never discussed in any open meetings we attended.
The leaking of confidential information has caused significant disruption and unrest within the community. Board members, legal counsel, and other individuals have been publicly maligned in meetings, across social media, and in news coverage—undermining their reputations and eroding public trust. Because the leaked topics remain confidential, the Board is unable to respond or correct the resulting misinformation and false narratives.
This represents a serious violation of the Maryland Open Meetings Act and a clear misuse of authority by Superintendent Tasker-Mitchell as a misconduct in office under Maryland Education Article §4-201(e). These records indicate willful and deliberate disclosures of confidential and privileged information originating from closed session meetings—actions that constitute clear violations of the Maryland Open Meetings Act and its protections for closed session proceedings. Moreover, these breaches represent a profound violation of ethical standards and a betrayal of public trust held by the citizens of Somerset County.