Maryland
Deceased gay mayor of Hyattsville accused of embezzling $2.2 million
Federal lawsuit seeks seizure of homes, cars bought with stolen funds
A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in D.C. on Monday by federal prosecutors accuses the gay former mayor of Hyattsville, Md., who took his own life in January, of embezzling $2.2 million from a D.C. charter school network he worked for from 2017 to July 2021.
A 24-page complaint in support of the lawsuit filed by prosecutors with the U.S. Department of Justice charges Kevin Ward, who served as Senior Director of Technology for KIPP DC, one of the city’s largest charter school networks, with using the embezzled funds to purchase property in West Virginia, at least 10 cars, and art and sports memorabilia.
“The Defendant Vehicles and Assorted Art and Sports Memorabilia were seized in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshall Service,” the lawsuit complaint states.
It says federal authorities do not seek authority at this time to seize two houses on large tracts of land in Augusta, W.Va., which it says Ward allegedly purchased using embezzled funds from KIPP DC.
The lawsuit, which identifies itself as a civil forfeiture proceeding, doesn’t say whether the land and houses, 10 expensive vehicles, and the art and sports memorabilia are currently owned by Ward’s estate and his heirs, including his surviving husband, or whether some of the items had been sold before or after Ward’s death and the start of an investigation into the alleged embezzlement that began shortly before Ward took his own life.
Justice Department spokesperson Joshua Stueve told the Washington Blade the department would have no further comment on the lawsuit at this time.
The lawsuit says that among the 10 vehicles Ward allegedly purchased using embezzled funds were a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid at a cost of $137,290 and a 2020 Tesla Model Y for $73,746.95.
Ward, 44, became acting mayor of Hyattsville on Jan. 1, 2021, following the resignation of former Mayor Candice Hollingsworth. He was next in line to become mayor in his role at the time as president of the Hyattsville City Council. Ward won election to complete the remainder of Hollingsworth’s term through 2023 in a special election, receiving 57.8 percent of the vote in a three-candidate race.
LGBTQ activists said they considered Ward as highly qualified to serve as Hyattsville’s first openly gay mayor. Ward posted on his campaign website during the election that he and his family made Hyattsville their home in 2014 after he and his husband adopted their two sons.
Those who knew him, including many in the LGBTQ community, expressed shock and sorrow when the city of Hyattsville released a statement on Jan. 26 announcing Ward had died one day earlier from an apparent suicide.
“Mayor Ward was a valued and trusted leader and a fierce advocate for all the people of Hyattsville,” the statement said. “We are heartbroken at this loss and extend our deepest sympathy to the mayor’s family.”
U.S. Park Police disclosed at the time that Ward was found deceased with a “self-inflected gunshot wound” at Fort Marcy Park in McLean, Va.
The federal lawsuit says that in his role as Senior Director of Technology for KIPP DC, Ward, among other things, was responsible for purchasing information technology products and services, including computers, tablets, software, and network services.
It says that shortly after the start of the COVID pandemic, when the closing of all schools for in-person attendance required the purchase of additional high-tech equipment to assist in remote learning, Ward reportedly created a company called Tenret Tech that purported to sell computer related equipment. The lawsuit complaint says the company’s address was listed as Ward’s home address.
It says a short time later, another company affiliated with Tenret Tech, Vast Systems, appeared on the scene that was controlled by Ward.
“Between April 2020 and October 2021, KIPP DC paid Tenret Tech and Vast Systems…approximately $2.2 million for laptops, tablets, and related services, all of which were arranged for and approved by Ward,” the complaint says. “None of the products or services which KIPP DC paid Tenret Tech were provided or delivered to KIPP DC,” the lawsuit states.
According to the lawsuit complaint, KIPP DC officials discovered last November or December after conducting an internal review that Tenret Tech had not provided any of the products and services purchased by KIPP DC and immediately suspected they had become the victim of fraud.
KIPP DC has said it informed the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. of its finding, which prompted prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s office to open an investigation into the matter.
KIPP DC told the Washington Post the charter school network has recovered $1 million from its insurance provider and it was optimistic that the Justice Department’s recovery process through the lawsuit would recover more than $800,000 of the stolen funds.
“Sometime in July 2021, Ward took a leave of absence from KIPP DC and ultimately left its employment,” the complaint says.
Nearby gay mayors – Patrick Wojahn of College Park and Jeffrey Slavin of Sommerset, Md., said they got to know Ward through Maryland political circles and thought very highly of him. Both said they were deeply saddened by his suicide.
“There was nothing in his public life that would have predicted this,” Slavin said at the time of Ward’s death.
News of the allegations raised in the federal lawsuit now raise the question of whether Ward may have taken his own life after learning of the investigation into his alleged embezzlement.
“Like everyone else, I was shocked to learn of these charges, but I will continue to keep my focus on the positive aspects of Mayor Ward’s legacy,” Slavin told the Blade.
Maryland
FreeState Justice to lose more than $300K in federal funding
DOJ program funded full-time employees, services for 600 Marylanders this year
FreeState Justice on Monday said it will lose more than $300,000 in federal funding on July 1.
The organization in a press release said the funds from the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Program supported LGBTQ survivors of crime in Maryland. FreeState Justice notes this funding “makes up almost 25 percent of the legal aid organization’s overall budget, and 60 percent of its direct service budget.”
FreeState Justice began to receive funds from the program in 2018.
“FreeState Justice is the only organization providing trauma-informed, culturally relevant legal services to LGBTQ+ Marylanders,” said FreeState Justice Executive Director Phillip Westry. “This funding cut is devastating to our community and the clients we serve, and it undermines the promise of equal justice for all.”
Westry noted the funding supported “2.5 full-time employees on our team of seven.” FreeState Justice Legal Director Lauren Pruitt added upwards of 600 people have benefitted from programs this funding supported so far this fiscal year.
“With our help, our clients report escaping violence, gaining housing, accessing documents, and reclaiming their voice,” said Pruitt. “For years, these funds have helped us to support Marylanders who have survived crimes, including about 600 people so far this fiscal year. Our services empower survivors to define and achieve safety, stability, and justice in the ways that matter most to them.”
“We are calling on the community to step up for Maryland’s LGBTQ+ survivors so that we can continue these essential services,” added Westry. “More than ever, we’ll need their support to continue getting our life-saving resources to those who need them most.”
FreeState Justice notes the Trump-Vance administration has cut $50 million “in grants and funding that support organizations that serve victims of crimes.” Westry on Monday in an email to supporters asked for their support to help fill the funding gap.
Rockville hosted its 9th annual Pride celebration on Sunday.
Organizations and sponsors partnered with the city and its Human Rights Commission to bring the event to life in the Rockville Town Center Park at the Square.
“We want our community to know how safe and how protected they are and that we would support our community,” City Clerk Sara Taylor-Ferrell, who is director of council operations, said. “It’s a gathering for families and friendship; it’s just a good event for our community engagement.”
Taylor-Ferrell said the Rockville community feels safe and comfortable at the event, and she hopes the event will continue to grow bigger each year.
“I think this is going to be a great thing that we can say our legacy is with Pride,” she said.
The Rainbow Youth Alliance, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, the Barker Adoption Foundation, Maryland Trans Unity, and other organizations gathered along the Square to spread awareness and celebrate the LGBTQ community.
Shane Henise, program director for the Rainbow Youth Alliance, an LGBTQ support group for teens from 13- to 18-years-old, said he wanted to come out and let people know that the organization is there for the younger LGBTQ community.
“I think this is a really hard time for queer and trans youth generally, and we want them to know they have a safe place to come,” he said.
Henise said Pride is more important this year than ever, especially with the “attacks” on gender-affirming care for youth.
“We want to counteract that immense amount of negativity and messages they’re receiving with positivity,” Henise said. “You are who you are. We love you, we support you.”
Speaking in front of a crowd of around 50 people, with hundreds walking around to stop and listen, Mayor Monique Ashton and other City Council members addressed the crowd and highlighted the importance of Pride.
Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass said Montgomery County always leads with its heart.
“We, the LGBTQ + community, are under threat and under attack by this president, by the Supreme Court, and while we have our challenges, there is no place I’d rather live than here in Montgomery County,” Glass said to the crowd. “We welcome our neighbors, we love them fairly and justly. We choose to love and we choose to be inclusive. That’s what pride is all about.”
With rainbow flags waving in the town square, attendees stopped by information tables, a clothing pop-up shop, face painting stations and a voter registration table.
Performers took to the stage in between speakers, such as local band the Nighthawks, members of the Rockville Musical Theater and a drag queen from drag story hour who read picture books to children in the crowd.
There was a sense of pride and family at the event, according to Cynethia Williams, the Montgomery County chair of Free Mom Hugs.
“There’s a sense of happiness and excitement about our future, even though it’s super scary right now in America,” Williams said. “It’s great to see that so many people are like, ‘They’re not going to take this stuff from us.’”
As a queer and Black woman, Williams said being at Rockville Pride was a revolution itself.
“I’m a revolter from birth, (from) being in this skin, so just being here is a revolt. It’s time for us to get together and fight,” she said. “Specifically for Free Mom Hugs, we want to make sure that our presence is known, that people know that we’re here and that … there’s a group of people that are ready to cheer them on, hug them, give them love.”
Maryland
Annapolis Pride postponed due to weather
Parade and festival will not happen as scheduled, other events to take place
The annual celebration of the Annapolis LGBTQ community has been put on hold due to forecasted severe weather.
The Annapolis Pride parade and festival, both of which were supposed to take place on May 31, have been postponed until a later date.
Annapolis Pride Board Chair Joe Toolan announced the decision this afternoon, citing information given to the Pride board from emergency management agencies and weather forecasting models.
“The safety of our community comes first,” Toolan said. “Based on guidance from the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the 2025 Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival due to the very real threat of severe thunderstorms, lightning, and flooding.
“We are hoping to reschedule for some time this fall,” he added.
The National Weather Service has issued tornado and flood watches for large portions of the Mid-Atlantic area, more specifically in areas of Virginia, D.C., and Maryland — including Anne Arundel County where Annapolis is located.
The tornado watch only lasts until midnight, but the impacts of heavy downpours in the area can already be seen where the parade and festival were set to take place. The festival grounds at Bates Middle School are already experiencing flooding and over-saturation, and a flood watch remains in effect with more rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow.
“We are all sad and terribly disappointed that we cannot proceed with the parade and festival on Saturday,” Toolan said. “Hundreds of hours have been spent on planning and coordination, and we were expecting tens of thousands of attendees. But at the end of the day, safety concerns outweigh all other concerns.”
Toolan said the Pride board will announce a rescheduled date as soon as it is confirmed.
Even though the Annapolis Pride parade and festival have been postponed, there are a slew of other planned Pride events that will go on as scheduled:
May 30 – Ladies Night – SOLD OUT
6–10 p.m., Eastport Democratic Club, Annapolis
June 1 – Drag Brunch at Leo – SOLD OUT
10 a.m., Leo Annapolis Restaurant, 212 West St.
June 1 – Ecumenical Pride Worship Service
3 p.m., Eastport United Methodist Church, Annapolis
June 3 – Annapolis Pride Beer Launch
4–7 p.m., Forward Brewing, Annapolis
June 5 – Pride on the Pier
6–9 p.m., Bread and Butter Kitchen, Annapolis
June 6 – Big Gay Dance Party
10 p.m.–close, Tsunami Restaurant, 51 West St., Annapolis
June 7 – Pop-Up Market: Benefiting Annapolis Pride
10 a.m.–3 p.m., Annapolis Town Center
Special discounts @Kendra Scott 6/7–6/8
June 14 – Silent Disco
7–11 p.m., Eastport Democratic Club, Annapolis
June 21 – Teen Dance Party
6–9 p.m., Art Farm, Annapolis
For high school freshmen – juniors
*ticketed event
For more information on the postponement of Annapolis Pride, visit https://annapolispride.org/
Drag queens protest Trump at the Kennedy Center
Padilla forcibly removed from federal building for questioning DHS secretary
Pride and Progress: Supporting LGBTQ+ Communities in Quitting
Comings & Goings
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
WorldPride recap: Festival, parade, fireworks, and Doechii
Judge temporarily blocks executive orders targeting LGBTQ, HIV groups
PHOTOS: WorldPride Parade
PHOTOS: WorldPride Street Festival and Closing Concert
