A high school teacher shouldn't have to face financial ruin to save his reputation. Yet that's exactly the horrible choice that Dan Engler faced.

It's been a little over a year since Dan decisively won his defamation case against MCPS and the Board of Education. MCPS has rewritten its regulations and retrained staff. B-CC High School is turning around with a new, highly praised principal. Everyone has come out ahead except Dan. He won in court, but state-mandated award caps left him with massive legal debt. (MARYLAND DOES NOT ALLOW LEGAL FEES TO BE REIMBURSED IN DEFAMATION CASES -- EVEN IF YOU WIN!) He's teaching and coaching again, but still needs help to make his family whole.

To recap Dan Engler’s incredible legal odyssey: In 2023, he was forced to sue Montgomery County Public Schools for defamation after the then-principal sent an email containing a fabricated quote to approximately 7,000 students, teachers, staff, parents, and guardians at B-CC High School. In legal discovery and in court, the principal admitted multiple times under oath that he made up the quote, that he had never spoken to Dan before sending the email, and that he was completely unaware of any MCPS standard investigative procedures.

In July 2025, the case went to trial. After 8.5 days, the jury took just over two hours to return a verdict for Dan, finding the school system and the Board of Education liable for the damage done to Dan, his family, and his career. The jury awarded Dan $518,000. The judge also sanctioned MCPS for withholding/destroying evidence before the case went to the jury. Dan is one of the only people to sue MCPS and win, holding them accountable.

But Maryland is one of eight states that impose a $400,000 maximum cap on judgments against government entities. MCPS also threatened to appeal the verdict, which would have caused additional legal expenses and distress. Dan agreed to settle for $395,000. It still took MCPS months to execute the settlement agreement, and they even attempted to remove some of his contractually guaranteed rights, which the teacher’s union found to be a serious violation.

The ripple effects of this case, in terms of benefits to the broader community, have been enormous. For the first time, last summer, all MCPS administrators were required to undergo training on how to conduct investigations. This had not happened before – and it’s not just teachers. Countless students have been harmed by poorly conducted or nonexistent investigations involving disciplinary issues. MCPS may also finally be required to honor legal notices to preserve documents and communications and provide timely discovery in legal matters. Other legal cases involving the mistreatment of teachers and students will also greatly benefit from Dan’s courage in seeing this case through to trial. B-CC High School's new principal is transforming the school to the deep appreciation of parents and students. Even years of unsafe and broken bathrooms have been fixed. That almost certainly would not have happened without Dan's legal victory.

The financial cost to Dan has been enormous. The trial, legal fees, and expert testimony left Dan with $520,000 in total legal expenses, even after he received a generous discount from his attorneys. Dan still has tens of thousands of dollars in outstanding debt. Anything that can help Dan and Krista rebuild their lives would be deeply appreciated. Economic times are difficult, but even small contributions will make a tremendous difference.

With deepest thanks. Lyric Winik (former B-CC PTSA President) joined by Marilyn Emery, Price Floyd, Liz Waters, and Ami Susan and Michael Petrucelli