ACLU Maryland Sues Somerset Board of Education
SOMERSET COUNTY, Md. – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland has filed suit against the Somerset County Board of Education under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA).
The legal group says they are seeking to compel the release of public records that Board officials improperly refuse to disclose. In particular, the ACLU Maryland is challenging the Board’s practices that have led to decisions governing book removals, school curriculum, the firing and resignation of Dr. Ava Tasker-Mitchell, and their controversial hiring of legal counsel. The lawsuit seeks a court order compelling the Board to produce all withheld public records, along with a declaration that the Board has violated the MPIA, an award of damages, and attorneys’ fees.
“When a school board operates in the shadows, our children’s education suffers and our democracy dies,” said Deborah Jeon, Legal Director for the ACLU of Maryland. “Somerset’s Board has chosen secrecy over accountability at every turn—banning books behind closed doors, rejecting expert-developed curriculum without explanation, and hiding how much taxpayer money is being paid out to bankroll. If they’re making decisions in the best interests of students, why won’t they let the public see the receipts?”
One of the issues highlighted in the complaint is the Board’s newest library policy that has paused all new book purchases and limited student access to some reading material. Another complaint alleges that the Board “secretly terminated its experienced legal counsel and installed an ideologically censorship campaign,” which was found to violate state law by the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education back in Nov. 2025. ACLU Maryland also reports that the the Board repeatedly ordered the removal of parents, and even the superintendent, from meetings before shifting to a virtual format with no opportunity for public comment.
The ACLU of Maryland says they first requested records from the Board in Aug. 2025, following up with additional requests in Feb. To date, no records have been received from the Board, and they remain unavailable to the public.
WMDT has reached out to Somerset County Public Schools for comment.
To read the full release surrounding the lawsuit, click here.
