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Md. student faces disciplinary action over ‘homophobic’ club

Montgomery County middle school principal calls proposal ‘hate/bias incident’

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The principal at a Montgomery County, Md. middle school on Feb. 10 sent a letter to parents disclosing that a teacher found on a student’s laptop computer a proposal to form a “Homophobic Club Hub” at the school.

“Our investigation found that the student shared the documents with at least two additional students prior to deleting them,” according to the letter written by Heidi L. Statcoff, the principal at Earle B. Wood Middle School in Rockville, Md.

“We found no evidence that any other students participated in generating the documents, and no evidence that a club was formed,” Statcoff said in her letter. “This is clearly a hate/bias incident, and I must say that discrimination in any form cannot be tolerated,” the letter continues.

“While students who commit this unacceptable act will receive consequences as per Montgomery County Public Schools Student Code of Conduct, it is important that we continue our work with our students to help them understand the impact of hateful and hurtful words,” Statcoff wrote.

She said in the coming week counselors would be going into classes to “conduct lessons on topics of bias and discrimination” and administrators and counselors would continue to “reinforce and reiterate our expectations around bullying and harassment.”

Jessica Baxter, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Schools, declined a request by the Washington Blade for the specific disciplinary action that school officials would take against the student or students involved in the “Homophobic  Club Hub” proposal, saying the school system’s privacy policy prevents the release of that information.

Baxter said the school system itself released this statement in response to the “Homophobic” club matter:

“MCPS remains steadfast in its commitment to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming learning environment that celebrates the diversity of our global community and all cultural backgrounds, including our LGBTQ community. This hurtful behavior, along with any acts of discrimination, have no place in our school system and will not be tolerated.”

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Maryland

Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated

Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs

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Merrick Moses, a violence prevention coordinator, works at the Pride Center of Maryland in Baltimore. (Photo by Ulysses Muñoz for the Baltimore Banner)

By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.

The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.

By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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Maryland

Steny Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, to retire from Congress

Md. congressman served for years in party leadership

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At 86, Steny Hoyer is the latest in a generation of senior-most leaders stepping aside, making way for a new era of lawmakers eager to take on governing. (Photo by KT Kanazawich for the Baltimore Banner)

By ASSOCIATED PRESS and LISA MASCARO | Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the longest-serving Democrat in Congress and once a rival to become House speaker, will announce Thursday he is set to retire at the end of his term.

Hoyer, who served for years in party leadership and helped steer Democrats through some of their most significant legislative victories, is set to deliver a House floor speech about his decision, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

“Tune in,” Hoyer said on social media. He confirmed his retirement plans in an interview with the Washington Post.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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Maryland

Joseline Peña-Melnyk elected Md. House speaker

Family immigrated to New York City from the Dominican Republic

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Maryland House speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk addresses the chamber after being sworn in. (Photo by Jerry Jackson for the Baltimore Banner)

By PAMELA WOOD | Moments after being elected speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates Tuesday, state Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk stood before the chamber and contemplated her unlikely journey to that moment.

Born in the Dominican Republic, the Peña family lived in a small wooden house with a leaky tin roof and no indoor plumbing. Some days, she said, there was no food to eat.

When she was 8 years old, the family immigrated to New York City, where Peña-Melnyk was dubbed “abogadito” or “little lawyer” for helping her mother and others by translating at social services offices.

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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