BCPS announces the selection of Dr. Darryl L. Williams as its new superintendent

Beginning July 1, Dr. Darryl L. Williams will begin his four-year term as superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, the 25th largest school system in the nation and third largest in Maryland.

Elected by the Board of Education of Baltimore County at its May 21 meeting, Williams will join BCPS after spending more than 24 years with Montgomery County Public Schools, where he began as a teacher and advanced through the organization serving as an assistant principal, principal, community superintendent, and associate superintendent. He is currently the area associate superintendent of schools in eight clusters. In this role and in concert with his leadership team, he supports and manages eight high school principals, two specialty school principals, 15 middle school principals, and 44 elementary school principals. As area associate superintendent, William participates on the superintendent’s Executive Leadership Team and a variety of workgroups committed to enhancing academic achievement. Prior to joining Montgomery County Public Schools, Williams began his career in education as a mathematics teacher in District of Columbia Public Schools.

“I am honored to have been chosen as the new superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools,” said Williams, “and I am excited to serve our students, leaders, staff, and communities. I will focus on the needs of our students and staff and work to maintain a positive and effective learning environment for all. We have to continue to move our district in a positive direction and listen to stakeholders and students about our successes and areas of improvement and make necessary changes. Our students come first and our work as a unified team will positively impact the lives of the students in BCPS.”

Williams earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Hampton University, his Master of Arts degree in educational administration from American University, and Doctor of Education degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. A native Washingtonian, he was a member of the first graduating class of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School.

Interim BCPS Superintendent was not selected by the school board. She released a statement on the hiring of Williams.

“Serving the children of Baltimore County has been the greatest honor of my professional life. I am grateful to have worked with dedicated educators, staff, and community members for the past 24 years. While I am disappointed in the Board’s final decision, I am appreciative of their consideration,” White said.

” I would like to congratulate Dr. Darryl L. Williams on his appointment. In the coming months, I will work closely with him to ensure a smooth transition and to continue supporting the school system that I love so dearly.”

Police Seek Identity of Overlea Burglar

Baltimore County Police are asking for the public’s help identifying this burglary suspect, responsible for at least one burglary in the Overlea area.

Detectives obtained this surveillance video of the suspect, who broke into a home in the 4500 block of Springwood Avenue, 21206 around 1 p.m. on the afternoon of Friday, March 29. Detectives have not succeeded in identifying this burglar by traditional investigative means and are now asking for help from the public.

If you recognize this suspect contact Burglary Unit detectives by calling 410-307-2020.

Nude Man Rescued at Cowenton Ridge Park

The White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company reported that Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County Fire Department responded to The Trails at Cowenton Ridge Park for a person wading in a small abandoned rock quarry on May 14 around 4 p.m.

Initial reports from the 911 caller indicated a nude male screaming in the water. Police arrived first to the park, located at 8941 Cowenton Ave, and reported the subject would not exit the water. Clothing found on a rock ledge approximately 30 feet high led responders to believe the person jumped into the water.

The first arriving fire unit requested an inland water rescue assignment since the person was not following commands, could not be reached, and appeared to be ill or under the influence. Additional resources were dispatched including boats, water rescuers and a dive team. Shortly after the arrival of Engine 202, the subject was talked out of the water and taken into the care of EMS.

Overlea High SRO named SRO of the Year

When DJ Moore became a police officer, chances are that she never envisioned being seen as a “transformational leader” at a high school. But that is how Overlea High School Principal Monica Sample describes her. And that is why Officer Moore has been named the high school level School Resource Officer of the Year for Baltimore County Public Schools.

BCPS administrators surprised Officer Moore with the news today.

According to Sample, Officer Moore is Overlea High’s “biggest cheerleader” and someone who “demonstrates commitment, loyalty, empathy, discipline, and diplomacy” and interacts with students “in a positive and restorative manner.”

“Many female scholars,” Sample wrote, “consistently approach Officer Moore for guidance, support, and mentorship with social-emotional issues. She is viewed by many as an honorary mother who represents confidence, optimism, and hope.”

Three of the many ways that Officer Moore contributes to the school culture are by serving as co-coordinator of the female mentoring Group IT Girls, as a member of the Overlea student support team, and as a member of the Restorative Practices team. According to Sample, Officer Moore has “conducted over 100 restorative conferences,” thereby preventing numerous physical altercations in the school and community.

“SRO Moore is non-judgmental in her role and gives each scholar endless opportunities and support despite their disciplinary histories. She inspires and gives hope to our scholars that each day is a new day and that our scholars are all capable of being model citizens who will make a great impact on society.”

K. Hawthorne-Jones, clinical school social worker and student mentoring coordinator, wrote that Officer Moore “has immersed herself in the culture of the school seamlessly. She has built strong relationships with students and staff. She knows how to be confident, firm, and compassionate at the same time. She believes in the good in people first and extends mercy when appropriate.”

Hawthorne-Jones concluded her recommendation: “With the addition of Officer Rawleigh, Overlea is grateful to have the best SROs a school could have. They work well together and balance one another out. You would never think that [Moore] has only been doing this job for a little over a year. She has hit the ground running and hasn’t turned back.”

Overlea High students to perform in groundbreaking Baltimore Choral Arts Society production

OOn Sunday, May 12, Mother’s Day, 22 members of Overlea High School’s Honors Chorale will perform in the U.S. premiere of a groundbreaking “community opera” – Jonathan Dove’s The Monster in the Maze – presented by Baltimore Choral Arts Society.

The Monster in the Maze is one half of a show, titled Captivity to Liberty, which will feature a total of 200 performers. The show will also feature Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht. Tickets for the 3 p.m. show are available at the Choral Arts website, and the show will be presented at Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., 21204. (A pre-concert Choral Conversation will begin in the auditorium at 2 p.m.)

“The production is pretty intense, and our students have a major presence,” said Kellie Zephir, Overlea High’s choral director and piano instructor. “They will be portraying Athenian youth who must cross Crete so that Theseus can kill The Minotaur and thereby save them from being sacrificed. As they sing, they will also be carrying a rope that becomes a labyrinth and becomes the arena for the major battle. It’s a very innovative production.”

Zephir, a former member of Choral Arts, explains that the group normally produces concerts and sings symphonic works with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Taking on such a large and complex production as Captivity to Liberty is outside its norm. However, “its musical director, Anthony Blake Clark, is trying to press the limits of what singers in Baltimore do.”

In addition to the singers from Overlea High, the production involves several lead singers as well as the Baltimore Choral Arts Orchestra, Larks of the Junior League of Baltimore, Maryland State Boychoir, Muse 360 (a youth arts organization), and Peabody Youth Orchestra. (Overlea High French teacher Laura Redfurn is a Choral Arts member and will be singing in the show.)

According to Zephir, Clark approached her last May to invite the Overlea Honors Chorale to be a part of the production. “I organized this school year around it,” Zephir said. “The students have been learning music and staging all year, and we have been going offsite to practice with others in the show. This week, every evening, we take a van over after eating dinner so that we can rehearse.”

Even before the big day, Zephir can see that this experience is having a significant impact on her students. “It is blowing their minds,” she said, “expanding their horizons about what is possible with singing. Experiencing the diversity of music and particularly what is happening in classical music is exciting for our students.”

Zephir notes that every year a few Overlea students think about pursuing music professionally. “But in my nine years at the school, only three students have pursued further studies or careers in classical music. That might expand because of the exposure to this experience.”

Because the production is taking place on Mother’s Day, Choral Arts offered each Overlea High performer one free ticket for their mothers and a discounted price for their family members.

The relationship between Choral Arts and Overlea High extends beyond this performance. Members visit the school each year to host a workshop to help students prepare for their singing adjudication.

Students from Overlea High School’s Honors Chorale singing as the Athenian Youth inJonathan Dove’s The Monster in the Maze on Sunday, May 12, 2019:

Benedicta Ajagunna

Raven Askins

Jose Avila-Zepeda

Dasia Biggers

William Brown

Jessica Carpenter

Christopher Cooke

Tyekeir Davis

Kandice Dowell

Ashley Gomez

T’Asia Hall

Teddana Hobbins

Victor Iheanacho

Nia Johnson

Olivia Johnson

Sanaa’ Jones

Ericka Lowery

Mason Mahon

Daniel Miller

Blessing Onuegbu

Nasir Perry

Kaitlyn Rhodes

Kellie Zephir, Choral Director & Piano Instructor…

BCDC Employee Charged with Rape of Juvenile

Baltimore County Police have charged Thomas Michael Mannion Jr, 45, with multiple counts of rape after having sex with a 13-year-old child.

The investigation was initiated Monday, May 6, when a neighbor saw the juvenile enter the residence where Mannion rents a room through a rear sliding glass door just before 6 p.m. Believing his neighbor’s home was being burglarized, he went to the home to assist the homeowner, who gave him permission to enter the basement to check for the burglary suspect. Instead, the neighbor found Mannion naked in bed with the juvenile. The neighbor left and called police.

Mannion initially denied the accusation by the neighbor. The preliminary investigation has indicated that this is the second time that Mannion has had sex with this juvenile, the first time being early this year.

Mannion, an employee of the Baltimore County Detention Center who resides in the 100 block of Bourbon Court in Parkville, 21234, is now being held without bail pending trial.

Police Response to Subject with a Gun Turns Deadly, Injures Officer

Baltimore County Police are identifying the officer shot during an officer-involved shooting in Parkville on May 2 as Police Officer First Class T. Hays, a 13 ½ year veteran of the force with one prior police-involved shooting in 2008, currently assigned to Parkville Precinct patrol. Officer Hays remains in stable condition at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma after suffering a gunshot wound to the upper body.

The deceased suspect in this shooting is identified as Robert Uhl Johnson, 76, residing in the 3000 block of Linwood Avenue, 21234, where police were dispatched to a call of a subject with a gun around 1:37 p.m. on May 2.

The Department provided misinformation shortly after the incident occurred, indicating that the suspect fired a weapon at the officers upon entering the home. Further review of body-worn camera footage and additional evidence now reveals that the suspect picked up a firearm, did not follow officers’ commands to put down the weapon, and pointed the gun at the officers, causing the officers to fire upon the suspect.

Officers were dispatched to the suspect’s home in the 3000 block of Linwood Avenue when Suspect Johnson called 9-1-1, methodically providing his personal information to the call-taker before stating that there was an unknown subject waiving a gun at him inside his home. Suspect Johnson hung up on the 9-1-1 call-taker when she attempted to gather additional information. Multiple attempts were made to contact the caller but he did not answer the phone on any call-back.

Officers from the Parkville Precinct approached the suspect’s home and observed him inside, seated in a chair facing the front door. One officer initiated conversation with the suspect, who refused to get up from the chair or exit the home. Suspect Johnson told the officer that he called 9-1-1 and that there was no one else inside the home. Officers further investigated by entering the house and directing Suspect Johnson to keep his hands up in the air. As the officers entered the home, Suspect Johnson lowered his right hand down to his thigh and picked up a handgun, pointing it at the officers as he said, “I’m sorry I have to do this.” Four officers fired their service weapons in response.

During the subsequent investigation by Homicide Unit detectives, it was determined that Suspect Johnson’s gun was not loaded. They also discovered that Suspect Johnson left his will and last requests for burial out for officers to find.

Officer Hays and three other responding officers fired their service weapons at the suspect. Those officers are currently on routine administrative leave and are identified as the following:

Police Officer First Class J. Hummel, an 18 year veteran with no prior police-involved shootings.

Police Officer First Class A. Burns, a 17 ½ year veteran with no prior police-involved shootings.

Police Officer First Class J. Deford, a 10 ½ year veteran with no prior police-involved shootings.

The Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit will complete their investigation and submit the case to the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.

Parkville Student One of Four to be featured in juried state exhibit at BWI airport

Artwork by four students will represent Baltimore County Public Schools in the juried Maryland Art Education Association BWI Spring 2019 Youth Art Gallery. Yancy Quijada Amaya, of Parkville High was of those students. Amaya’s art teacher is Caitlin Tellie.
Joel Ferman Hernandez, of Owings Mills High, Ethan Nagy, of Padonia International Elementary and Frank Rosas-Espinoza, of Padonia International Elementary were the other three winners.

The exhibition, Let Art Take You There!, will feature 24 artworks from across Maryland. The pieces will be on display at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport from June until November in the Airport Observation Gallery. The gallery is open to the public and located on the upper level adjacent to the B/C security checkpoint.

“Their artworks will greet the thousands of visitors who pass through BWI daily,” said Sherri Fisher, BCPS coordinator of visual arts. “The Office of Visual Arts extends its congratulations to the students, their teachers, and school communities.”

The exhibition reception will take place on Saturday, June 1, at BWI.

Victim Identified in Kingsville Fatal Crash

The female passenger who died in a fatal crash on Raphel Road in Kingsville Wednesday, May 1 has been positively identified as Samantha Jean Muehleisen (24) of the 600 block of Yorkshire Drive, 21040.

The Baltimore County Police Crash Investigation Team is continuing their investigation to determine the factors that contributed to this fatal crash. 

Police were called to Bradshaw Road around 7 p.m. when a Chrysler 300 traveling northbound on Raphel Road near the intersection of Bradshaw Road crossed the oncoming lane of traffic and collided with a BGE pole and then a tree, causing the vehicle to catch fire.

The driver and a female passenger in the vehicle both suffered life-threatening wounds and burn wounds during the crash. The female was pronounced deceased at the scene and has not yet been positively identified. The male driver was transported to an area hospital and remains in critical condition.

Police Continue Investigation into Weekend Shooting in Essex

Baltimore County Police continue to investigate a shooting in the 1100 block of Tace Drive in Essex that occurred just before midnight on Saturday.

Police located an adult male and an adult female victim upon their arrival, both suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body. Both were taken to area hospitals with life-threatening wounds. The suspect(s) fled prior to police arrival. The female victim died a few days later. She was identified as Jessica Holly Diotte, 27, of the 2100 block of Southorn Road in Middle River. 

Anyone with information regarding this shooting is asked to contact BCoPD detectives by calling 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous.

Reward Offered

Metro Crime Stoppers, an organization that is separate from the Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County Government, offers rewards for information in connection with felony offenses.

Anonymous tips can be sent to Metro Crime Stoppers by phone, online or via mobile app.