Judge Considers Dismissing Case Against Dyer

An administrative judge will consider dropping the Howard County Board of Education's request to remove board member Allen Dyer from his seat because the charges were unclear, the Howard County Times reported. 

At Tuesday's hearing, the fifth day of testimony, Administrative Law Judge Douglas Koteen said he would consider a second appeal by Dyer to have the charges dismissed.

Koteen had denied a previous request to dismiss the charge.

The Board of Education in from his position, accusing him of breaching confidentiality provisions, undermining the board and using his position to "further his personal litigation against the Board of Education,” among other allegations.

In his May 15 cross-examination of board member Janet Sidiqqui, Dyer asked for specifics about the charges levied against him, particularly that he had threatened members of the staff and undermined the functioning of the board.

Siddiqui said that Dyer's attitude undermined the function of the board, noting his tone in emails. "What I consider rude," she said, "is when you use capital letters."

She also said he breached confidentiality rules when he released information about an ethics complaint filed against him after the information had been leaked by another source. 

The ethics commission .

Koteen said that after five days of testimony, "It's still not entirely clear exactly what the board relied on" when voting to remove Dyer, "and that's the problem of proof for the board," the Howard County Times reported.

Koteen said he will consider Dyer's motion to dismiss at the next hearing date, June 6. 

Dyer lost his bid for another term on the board after coming in at seventh in the April primary; the six top vote-getters move on to the general election.

During a on Wedensday, Board Member Brian Meshkin briefly addressed the administrative hearings.

“I voted against the impeachment of Mr. Dyer,” wrote Meshkin, “because I believe it is wrong for the Board of Education to overrule the votes of the public. I am not an extremist. It is extreme to sue the Board of Education that you serve on and it is equally as extreme to impeach a sitting Board member who has not broken the law.”