MANASSAS, Va. — Newly obtained emails cast doubt on claims that security threats forced George Mason University to decline hosting a hearing on the future of the Prince William Education Association.
The VEA had previously suggested that threats and disruptive behavior forced the cancellation of an in-person hearing at George Mason University’s Manassas campus. But emails from GMU officials indicate no such threats were ever reported.
GMU officials dispute VEA claims
Carl Rowan Jr., GMU’s Chief of Police and Assistant Vice President for Public Safety, writes that he made no statement about security threats or disruptive behavior tied to the proposed hearing. Rowan clarified that no event had ever been scheduled at GMU, only an application to rent space had been submitted.
The revelations appear to contradict the account given by VEA leaders and circulated to members in emails from state-appointed trustee Linda J. Cook, who attributed the shift to virtual proceedings to “disruptive behavior by a small number of individuals.”
A virtual hearing after weeks of confusion
The hearing to decide the future of PWEA — Virginia’s largest local teachers union — will now be held virtually this Saturday, August 23, 2022.
Members were initially told the event would run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at GMU’s Manassas campus and that they must choose either to attend in person or online, but not both. GMU contacted Potomac Local News on August 18, shortly after we reported on suspended PWEA President Maggie Hansford’s concerns, to clarify that the event was not taking place at any of its campuses.
Documents later obtained by Potomac Local show that GMU had already denied VEA’s request to rent space on August 15, citing concerns about “climate, safety, and security.”
Members say they were not informed of the change until August 20, when Cook emailed to announce the shift to an entirely virtual format.
Despite the move online, PWEA members plan to gather at a hotel near Manassas on Saturday to watch the hearing together as a group.
Suspended president Hansford said the trusteeship process has left members in the dark. She told Potomac Local News that members received little communication and that VEA leaders have not responded to repeated phone calls and emails.
“This decision was made without us, about us,” Hansford said. She added that restricting witnesses and dismissing member concerns undermines the fairness of the hearing.
Allegations of mismanagement disputed
VEA placed PWEA under trusteeship earlier this summer, alleging $355,000 in financial mismanagement. Hansford disputes the charge, saying the spending covered national and state conferences, leadership training, and organizing costs over two and a half years.
She notes the union owns its office, pays its bills, maintains reserves, and secured a collective bargaining agreement with Prince William County Public Schools.
“The outcome of Saturday’s hearing will ripple across Virginia,” Hansford said. “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.”
Potomac Local News has requested comment from both George Mason University and the Virginia Education Association regarding the disputed claims about security threats and disruptive behavior. This article will be updated should either respond.
