The new Harford County Executive of Harford County, MD, Bob Cassilly, ran an honest campaign in which his admiration for the previous President of the U.S. was fully acknowledged. Cassilly began implementing the tactics of his role model even before taking office. In an outrageously immature stunt, Cassilly held a public swearing in for himself and his fellow elected Republicans while refusing to acknowledge Jacob Bennett, the duly elected Democratic Representative for Council District F.
Further exhibiting a disregard for the elected office holder, Bennett was not provided an office or other materials after being privately sworn into office. Just as the former president loosely quotes the Constitution and then dismisses the document when it is shown not to support him, Cassilly’s spokesperson justifies his refusal to acknowledge the results of County Districts F’s election by declaring that Bennett is barred by the County Charter from serving as a Council Representative while also serving as a teacher employed by the Harford County Board of Education. This declaration is baseless.
The Harford County Charter specifically states ...During the term of office, the Council member shall not hold any other office of profit or employment in the government of the State of Maryland, Harford County or any municipality within Harford County. A teacher is not employed by any of these three entities. Cassillly’s spokesman apparently recognizes this fact because he does not explain the supposed disqualification by stating which of these three entities employs Bennett and other public school teachers, instead he mentions that the County contributes to the Board of Education’s budget. The US Constitution and the Harford County Charter are both legal documents whose meanings are evident to all who take the time to actually read those documents. Neither the former president nor Cassilly gets to improvise these documents as weapons to disqualify duly elected office holders. The Charter only disqualifies people who are employed by the County, State, or municipality, it does not disqualify people based on the funding of their employer.
It should be noted, as well, that the current Negotiated Agreement between the Board of Education and the Harford County education Associating specifically provides 18.1 A Teacher as a Citizen. Teachers are entitled to campaign for candidates, run for and serve in public office, provide that no political activities interfere with any of the teacher’s duties.
“Councilman Bennett was determined to fight for his council seat” (The Baltimore Sun). A more accurate statement would be that Bennett is determined to fight for the recognition of the votes of the citizens of Council District F. Bennett was sworn into office in a private ceremony.
In April 2023, the Supreme Court of Maryland (formerly called the Maryland Court of Appeals) ruled that Harford County Council member Jacob Bennett may continue to serve on the Council while he’s employed as a Harford County teacher. Chief Justice also wrote that Bennett is owed injunction relief by the county. Bennett said this relief includes backpay he is owed for his time on the council and a mileage reimbursement. The court also ordered that “costs are to be paid by Harford County.”
Hopefully, now that Cassilly and Republicans on the Council sees that their stunt of not including Bennett in the public ceremony and on the Council did not scare Bennett into fleeing for the hills, they will stop the grandstanding and begin to approach their duties with respect for the law and citizens of all Harford County, even the Democrats.
Lets us hope that other states legislative, judicial, and executive bodies will also see the light.