Amid conflict, law school deans quit Baltimore inspector general oversight board

The deans of Baltimore’s two law schools have stepped down from the board overseeing city Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming amid an escalating legal fight with the mayor over the power of her office.

LaVonda Reed, dean of the University of Baltimore School of Law, and Renée Laurent, dean of the University of Maryland law school, notified city officials earlier this month that they were removing themselves from the 11-member board, which has oversight of the inspector general, who is Baltimore’s watchdog for waste, fraud and abuse.

In a letter to Mayor Brandon Scott and City Council President Zeke Cohen, the deans said they believe the board does not require their “legal academic expertise.” They also said they were unable to give the board enough attention amid their other responsibilities.

“In light of this, we have determined not only to tender our own resignations, but also not to appoint designated representatives from our respective institutions,” the pair wrote in a letter dated June 17 and mailed to Scott and Cohen on July 2.

Reed was not immediately available for comment. Laurent said her letter speaks for itself.

The deans have been part of the inspector general advisory board since it was created in 2018. The board was included in a charter amendment approved by voters, making the inspector general independent of the mayor’s office. The board was later reshaped in 2022, and the deans were the only members to remain on the board.

Gayle Guilford, chair of the board, thanked the deans for their service in a statement.

“The departure of the deans will have no impact on the ability of the board to perform their duties,” Guilford said.

The resignations come in the midst of a legal dispute between Scott and Cumming that has played out in court and dragged the board into the fight.

Earlier this year, the Scott administration terminated Cumming’s ability to review city legal records after discovering that she and her staff had “unfettered access.” The mayor’s office argued that was a violation of attorney-client and work-product privileges.

Weeks later, the administration blocked the IG’s access to a wider swath of records after receiving advice from an attorney with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. That guidance, which Attorney General Anthony Brown has since tried to distance himself from, said Cumming’s office was subject to restrictions in the Maryland Public Information Act. Those restrictions limit access to sensitive records, including financial information and personnel documents.

In response, Cumming sued the Scott administration, asking a judge to force Scott’s team to fulfill subpoenas. A decision is pending, but in April the judge overseeing the case called the administration’s position “concerning.”

The law school deans have been quiet when the controversy has been discussed by the board. During a February meeting when Cumming sought approval from the oversight board to file the lawsuit against the administration, Reed and Laurent both abstained from the vote. Neither turned on their camera during the virtual meeting.

In their letter to the administration, the deans wrote that they had “found it increasingly difficult to sustain the level of meaningful participation on the Advisory Board that we believe it deserves.”

“It has been an honor to serve in this capacity, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support the OIG’s mission of promoting integrity, accountability, and transparency in Baltimore City government,” the deans wrote.

Cumming, an alum of the University of Baltimore’s law school, said she understood the position of the deans. The work of the group will carry on, she said, noting that three remaining members of the board are attorneys.

“Because of the situation that has happened, the deans have recused themselves,” Cumming said.

“I enjoyed working with them very much, incredible people, but I understand,” she added.

Scott’s office did not respond to a request for comment.