New images obtained by Potomac Local News show school supplies and personal items—once housed inside the union office—discarded in a dumpster outside the building. According to a PWEA member who shared the photos, union employees have been unable to retrieve their belongings.
The latest development adds to the turmoil surrounding the VEA’s July 21 decision to take control of PWEA, the largest local teachers union in Virginia, citing what it described as “gross financial mismanagement” and falsified board records. The VEA has not publicly commented on why the office is locked or why staff and members are being denied access to their property.
Simone Redington, co-host of the Until They Kick Us Out podcast based in Manassas, visited the PWEA office this week to document the situation. She captured video of the locked building and attempted to speak with anyone who might explain the closure, but received no response.
Redington told Potomac Local News that after her visit, PWEA President Maggie Hansford contacted the podcast and expressed a desire to share the local union’s side of the story. Hansford has not responded to repeated media inquiries from Potomac Local News.
The VEA announced its trusteeship in a letter sent to members, accusing PWEA leadership of violating financial policies, altering official board minutes, and reimbursing each other without oversight. The letter stated that PWEA’s actions had “jeopardized the local’s ability to function.”
The financial concerns come just months after PWEA and Prince William County Public Schools finalized a landmark collective bargaining agreement. Approved in January and celebrated in May, the deal expanded bereavement and parental leave, improved support for teachers changing grade levels, and continued the push for better compensation.
“When our educators have adequate employee benefits, they can devote their time and energy to their students and families,” Hansford said in a school division press release at the time.
In a previous report, Potomac Local News revealed that PWEA’s cash reserves had fallen from $1.4 million to just $63,000 in two years, and that the union had accumulated $692,000 in credit card charges over a 20-month period. VEA warned in May that PWEA was spending $53,000 more each month than it brought in.
In response to those reports, PWEA attorney Broderick Dunn sent a letter to VEA in May demanding more details and documentation about the accusations. Dunn asked VEA to provide summaries of complaints, identify any outside investigators used, and release any reports—none of which the VEA provided. VEA legal counsel declined to release specific evidence, citing an ongoing investigation and legal privilege.
A formal hearing on the trusteeship is expected within the next 60 days, but neither PWEA nor VEA has confirmed a date or location. As of July 30, both organizations have declined to respond to multiple requests for comment from Potomac Local News.
This remains a developing story.
