Spring Ridge resident Leonard Queiroz on Monday filed an ethics complaint against Frederick County Board of Education president Jean Smith, accusing her of "poisoning" the Oakdale High School redistricting process.The school board is scheduled to make a final redistricting decision at its regular meeting tonight. Queiroz accuses Smith of violating ethics clause 109.3.C, which defines "prestige of office." At the request of school board vice president Bonnie Borsa, the board's ethics panel recently issued an opinion that all board members were free to participate in the redistricting process. The panel determined that there is no prestige of office among equals, and thus no opportunity for unethical behavior. Queiroz said his complaint is different because he cites specific acts on Smith's part that he believes shows unethical behavior. "This is very specifically about the promises she made to Libertytown ," he said Monday. "The promises she made are unethical and from there, the process has become poisoned." Queiroz said he believes Smith's job as school board president "is to sit back and direct the process." Instead, he said, Smith has "led a redistricting process that was biased and unfair." Smith said Tuesday she was aware the complaint had been filed but said the charge would not stop the school board from proceeding tonight. She said she has only one vote of seven, and did not attempt to influence her colleagues. "They're just trying to stop everything," Smith said of the filing. "They just want their way. "We can't stop this process. We have to move forward."
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