Support Dan Engler AND hold MCPS accountable:

On February 13, Dan Engler’s teaching career – more than 18 years of devoted service to B-CC High School, multiple honors including 2017 B-CC International Baccalaureate Teacher of the Year and 2018 University of Chicago Outstanding Educator award, and 16 years as the highly regarded coach of B-CC Boys’ Crew – was destroyed by a single false and malicious email to parents, students, and Dan’s colleagues. As a former student recently wrote Dan, “I remember you as a fantastic, funny teacher who cared about all of his students, and I think the allegations outlined in the [Washington Post] article are outrageous.” One of Dan’s former rowers wrote: “Dan is a passionate coach who cares very deeply about his athletes, their individual growth, and their ownership of that process. He really wants the best for his kids and tries to help them find a grip on life through the sport of rowing. The impact of his coaching is captured by the number of his former athletes who have come back to coach alongside him." A former coach who worked with Dan wrote: “everything Dan is about [is]: working hard, caring more about your teammate than you do about yourself, and being the best rower, friend, person you can be.”

To repair the damage to his reputation and refute the unfounded accusations MCPS leveled against him, Dan has been forced to sue MCPS, incurring massive financial costs. Please note that even if he wins the lawsuit, in defamation cases, the law dictates that attorney fees cannot be reimbursed as part of the award.

At MCPS, basic administrative due process was not followed. Instead, Dan was falsely accused of making a derogatory racial remark to two students. What had begun as a student complaint over the fact that Dan, like thousands of teachers, uses a seating chart at the start of each semester to properly learn the names of roughly 150 students and thus two 10th grade students could not immediately sit together, became a full-throated attack on Dan’s character.

Deeply shocked and saddened, Dan sought to avail himself of every recourse in the system, but his administrative complaints went unanswered by MCPS Central Office and MCEA claimed that MCPS administrators had not violated a contract requirement. His only option: file a lawsuit for defamation. Not until almost two weeks after the lawsuit was filed and more than four months after submitting the administrative complaint did MCPS Central Office even acknowledge receipt of Dan’s administrative complaint.

The money required to sue is enormous . Dan and his family have already sunk more than $100,000 of their own money into the effort to force MCPS to disclose how it allowed this false accusation to be sent to an entire community. That’s why we are asking for your support. Any donation, $10, $20, $50 or $100, helps offset the tremendous financial burden on Dan and his family – and allows this legal challenge to continue, to hold MCPS accountable, and to try to build a safer environment for all teachers throughout the system.

You can read more here: about the incident here: https://moco360.media/2023/09/01/b-cc-teacher-described-in-hate-bias-letter-sues-principal-school-board/

Here’s a brief sample of student feedback about Dan from a January 2023 student 1st semester survey, completed two weeks before the B-CC principal’s false accusations – there are dozens of more quotes like this:

“He cares about each individual and talks to everyone.”

“Makes sure to be respectful and understanding.”

“He is always serious when it comes to emotional wellbeing and it is clear to see that he does care.”

“One time I was not having the best day and he was comforting and let me sit in the hall for the class to get myself together.”

“What a sweetie Mr. Engler is.”

“Makes a comfortable environment and discusses mental health.”

“They have also done a really great job at showing understanding for when we are stressed or overwhelmed.”

“I love how Mr. Engler is very supportive of hearing me out.”

“You always make sure people are okay if they look sad.”