MANASSAS, Va. – A hearing meant to decide the future of the Prince William Education Association, the largest local teachers union in Virignia, will go forward this Saturday. It will be held virtually after George Mason University declined to host the event.
Suspended PWEA president Maggie Hansford said earlier this week that members had been left in the dark. She told Potomac Local News that members only received a single email from a state-appointed trustee saying the hearing would run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at GMU’s Manassas campus. Members were also told they must choose either to attend in person or online, but not both.
George Mason University contacted Potomac Local News just minutes after our August 18 story was published, requesting a correction. GMU spokesman John Hollis said the meeting was not being held at any of the university’s campuses. He did not elaborate at the time, but Potomac Local has since obtained an August 15 email showing GMU had already denied VEA’s request to rent space at the campus. In that message, a university official cited concerns about “climate, safety, and security” surrounding the event.
Today, August 20, just minutes after Potomac Local News reported the confusion and posted our interview with suspended President Maggie Hansford, trustee Linda J. Cook sent members a notice confirming the hearing would be held virtually. She wrote that “disruptive behavior by a small number of individuals” created challenges and that, due to space limitations at the new venue, in-person observers could not be accommodated. All members who registered for in-person attendance will instead receive a virtual participation link.
The Virginia Education Association placed PWEA into trusteeship earlier this summer, alleging $355,000 in financial mismanagement. Hansford disputes the claim, saying the spending covered national and state conferences, leadership training, and organizing costs over two and a half years. She said the union owns its office, pays its bills, maintains reserves, and has achieved significant successes, including securing a collective bargaining agreement with Prince William County Public Schools.
Hansford also questioned the fairness of the hearing process. She said VEA leaders decided to intervene without speaking to a single member in Prince William and are now restricting how many witnesses can testify. “This decision was made without us, about us,” she said.
Meanwhile, Hansford said PWEA members have struggled to get answers. Phone calls and emails to the trustee and VEA staff have gone unanswered, and a recent public records request showed state officials were speaking with school division leaders but not dues-paying members. Multiple requests for comment from the Virginia Education Association have also gone unanswered.
Hansford said the outcome of Saturday’s hearing will ripple across Virginia. “They have the opportunity to end the harm and build trust, or if this trusteeship continues, harm will continue, and it will not just impact PWEA. It will impact locals throughout this whole state,” she said.
Potomac Local News has followed up with both George Mason University and the VEA trusteeship to confirm the reasons for GMU’s decision, why members were not notified sooner, and why the VEA’s communications referenced “disruptive behavior.”
Should we receive a response, this article will be updated.
🎧 Listen to the full interview with Maggie Hansford on the Potomac Local Podcast, posted below:
