WCBC

July 24th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland State Board of Education case to remove Wayne Foote as a member of the Allegany County Board of Education concluded Wednesday afternoon.

Day Two of the hearing was split between witnesses for the state and the respondent.  The state focused on current and former board members testifying to knowing the requirements of keeping confidential the contents of executive session and Foote’s breaking that requirement.

Foote’s legal team presented a an hour and a half rebuttal, and focused on their claim that the case was brought as the last action of the previous board of education because it did not like the way the election turned out.  There was also testimony that confidentiality breaches did not involve any personnel or student issues.

Former Career Center Principal Candy Canan testified that she did not see the alleged groping by Foote of former board member Laurie Marchini, and that at no point did she receive a complaint, or a request for video from cameras at the Center.

In closing arguments, lead Assistant Attorney General Karen Anderson-Scott presented a timeline of events dating to 2015 shortly after Foote joined the board.  One of the first comments involved an interview he did with WCBC concerning the Bart Alan Mazer case.  During that interview, Foote said that he believed other members of the Mountain Ridge staff had to know about the abuse.

Anderson-Scott said her timeline represented repeated acts of misconduct and willful neglect of duty.

Foote co-counsel Kelly Lynch used the same timeline to point to where there is an increase in activity to remove Foote after he was the leading vote getter in the June 2018 primary election, and was one of four candidates elected in November.  Kelly Lynch called that an effort to undermine the will of the Allegany County voters.

Administrative Hearing Judge Michael Wallace said he would consider the evidence and arguments, and issue a written decision in the next several weeks.