Reinstate Officer Uvary to Damascus High School
Reinstate Officer Uvary to Damascus High School
The Issue
UPDATE 2/24: We still have no Damascus Cluster CEO and MCPS Central Office at all levels, BOE and MCPS Chief Security Officer have ignored all inquiries as to a plan and timeline for the vacancy. This is not safe!!!! Please email Thomas_W_Taylor@mcpsmd.org that we need a Damascus Cluster CEO!
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UPDATE 2/10: Damascus Cluster Schools have no CEO!!!
I received clarification that Officer Uvary was actually moved from CEO to the Crisis Response Team completely by Jan 22nd (for reasons still unknown since he is still fully employed with MCPD and no further information provided by MCPS since Jan 21st). The Clarksburg CEO who was swapped with Officer Uvary was returned to Clarksburg Cluster leaving our Damascus Cluster CEO vacant for over 2.5 weeks now.
THIS DOES NOT JUST AFFECT DAMASCUS HIGH SCHOOL BUT ALL SCHOOLS IN THE DAMASCUS CLUSTER! WE HAVE NO CEO FOR ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS!
This is a huge safety concern for the entire Damascus cluster schools. We have to rely on a response from the Clarksburg CEO, and if they are already tied up at one of their schools, we have to wait for Seneca Valley or Northwest which both are more than 20 minutes away. Having a Damascus Cluster CEO is imperative for the response times and safety of all of our schools and community. If there was a serious crime in any Damascus school like Wootton yesterday, it could turn catastrophic waiting for a far away CEO to respond.
And why was a follow-up not communicated to the school/cluster community when this update/vacancy was effective back on Jan 22nd or even provided any updates since then? At a minimum, we need an interim CEO appointed immediately and need MCPS transparency!
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UPDATE 2/8: WJLA aired a news segment about this - check it out:
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ORIGINAL PETITION 1/21:
Montgomery County Police Officer Todd Uvary has been an integral part of the Damascus community as a MCPD Officer for over 24 years and worked at Damascus High School for over 3 years as the CEO (Community Engagement Officer). His sudden and unexplained reassignment by MCPS as CEO from Damascus to another school and suspension as a volunteer softball coach disrupts the educational environment, breaks necessary relationships with students, and negatively impacts school culture that he has helped foster.
The involuntary transfer of Officer Uvary, without clear communication outlining professional justification, undermines the trust that students, parents, and staff place in our school and MCPS administration. Decisions impacting the school community at such a fundamental level should not be made in an arbitrary or capricious manner.
Officer Uvary is a cornerstone of our community and presence extends well beyond the school hallways. He is a familiar, reassuring face at sporting events, school functions, and throughout the Damascus community. He provides a level of continuity, mentorship, positive role modeling, and his ability to connect with students cannot be easily replaced and is crucial to their growth and success. His influence and experience as a certified CrossFit coach extends to character development, teaching life lessons about perseverance, teamwork, accountability, and integrity - lessons that will serve these students long after their academic and/or athletic careers end.
In uniting our voices, we seek transparency and fairness in administrative actions as the recent communication sent states a "temporary change in CEO". We urge the immediate re-evaluation of the decision to reassign Officer Uvary to another school and believe a rescindment of the transfer is necessary for the continued success and well-being of Damascus High School.
Please stand with us in requesting that the MCPS administration reconsider this decision promptly, acknowledging the invaluable role Officer Uvary plays in our students’ lives. Sign this petition to support reinstate Officer Uvary at Damascus High School, where he belongs and is deeply needed.
707
The Issue
UPDATE 2/24: We still have no Damascus Cluster CEO and MCPS Central Office at all levels, BOE and MCPS Chief Security Officer have ignored all inquiries as to a plan and timeline for the vacancy. This is not safe!!!! Please email Thomas_W_Taylor@mcpsmd.org that we need a Damascus Cluster CEO!
---------------
UPDATE 2/10: Damascus Cluster Schools have no CEO!!!
I received clarification that Officer Uvary was actually moved from CEO to the Crisis Response Team completely by Jan 22nd (for reasons still unknown since he is still fully employed with MCPD and no further information provided by MCPS since Jan 21st). The Clarksburg CEO who was swapped with Officer Uvary was returned to Clarksburg Cluster leaving our Damascus Cluster CEO vacant for over 2.5 weeks now.
THIS DOES NOT JUST AFFECT DAMASCUS HIGH SCHOOL BUT ALL SCHOOLS IN THE DAMASCUS CLUSTER! WE HAVE NO CEO FOR ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS!
This is a huge safety concern for the entire Damascus cluster schools. We have to rely on a response from the Clarksburg CEO, and if they are already tied up at one of their schools, we have to wait for Seneca Valley or Northwest which both are more than 20 minutes away. Having a Damascus Cluster CEO is imperative for the response times and safety of all of our schools and community. If there was a serious crime in any Damascus school like Wootton yesterday, it could turn catastrophic waiting for a far away CEO to respond.
And why was a follow-up not communicated to the school/cluster community when this update/vacancy was effective back on Jan 22nd or even provided any updates since then? At a minimum, we need an interim CEO appointed immediately and need MCPS transparency!
-------------------------------
UPDATE 2/8: WJLA aired a news segment about this - check it out:
------------------------------
ORIGINAL PETITION 1/21:
Montgomery County Police Officer Todd Uvary has been an integral part of the Damascus community as a MCPD Officer for over 24 years and worked at Damascus High School for over 3 years as the CEO (Community Engagement Officer). His sudden and unexplained reassignment by MCPS as CEO from Damascus to another school and suspension as a volunteer softball coach disrupts the educational environment, breaks necessary relationships with students, and negatively impacts school culture that he has helped foster.
The involuntary transfer of Officer Uvary, without clear communication outlining professional justification, undermines the trust that students, parents, and staff place in our school and MCPS administration. Decisions impacting the school community at such a fundamental level should not be made in an arbitrary or capricious manner.
Officer Uvary is a cornerstone of our community and presence extends well beyond the school hallways. He is a familiar, reassuring face at sporting events, school functions, and throughout the Damascus community. He provides a level of continuity, mentorship, positive role modeling, and his ability to connect with students cannot be easily replaced and is crucial to their growth and success. His influence and experience as a certified CrossFit coach extends to character development, teaching life lessons about perseverance, teamwork, accountability, and integrity - lessons that will serve these students long after their academic and/or athletic careers end.
In uniting our voices, we seek transparency and fairness in administrative actions as the recent communication sent states a "temporary change in CEO". We urge the immediate re-evaluation of the decision to reassign Officer Uvary to another school and believe a rescindment of the transfer is necessary for the continued success and well-being of Damascus High School.
Please stand with us in requesting that the MCPS administration reconsider this decision promptly, acknowledging the invaluable role Officer Uvary plays in our students’ lives. Sign this petition to support reinstate Officer Uvary at Damascus High School, where he belongs and is deeply needed.
707
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Petition created on January 21, 2026