Prince George’s board seeks probe of member who also held a job in Missouri
The State House is reflected off the door to Prince George's County government offices in Annapolis. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.
By Thomas Robertson
The Prince George’s County Board of Education has asked for an investigation into former member David Murray, who resigned earlier this month, several months after he’d taken a job with a school system in Missouri and started working in that state.
The board said in a letter dated Wednesday that it has asked the county Office of Integrity and Compliance and “other appropriate agencies” to look into the matter.
“The Board remains committed to transparency, accountability, and integrity. However, as this issue is now under investigation, the Board will refrain from making any further public statements regarding this issue until the conclusion of the investigation,” the board wrote.
Murray began his new job as the chief academic officer for Missouri’s Ferguson-Florissant School District in January. Around the same time, his attendance at Prince George’s County school board meetings became spotty at best, with his appearances often occurring virtually, if at all.
According to Maryland law, school board members are required to live in the district they represent. But a legal expert told WTOP that cases surrounding residency aren’t always so black and white.
“We all think we know where we live, but it gets awfully complicated,” said Donald Tobin, an election law expert and law professor at the University of Maryland’s Carey School of Law in Baltimore.
“Once we have a domicile or residence, that is our domicile or residence until we have successfully changed that to a different domicile or residence,” he said. “Going somewhere else doesn’t necessarily change that domicile or residence.”
Murray told WTOP via text he is still a homeowner and taxpayer in school board District 1, a seat that remains vacant on the board following his resignation. He said in that message his “secondary residence” is now out of state.
The Missouri school district’s spokeswoman confirmed Murray’s position requires living near the district full-time. She said Murray was a resident of St. Louis and had been “100% here” in terms of attendance at meetings and events he was expected at.
– As part of Maryland Matters’ content sharing agreement with WTOP, we feature this article from Thomas Robertson, to which WTOP’s John Domen contributed. Click here for the WTOP News website.
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