Sunil Dasgupta’s school board campaign ran into a big problem in 2020.
In May 2022, Dasgupta’s published Paul Ellis’ endorsement on his campaign Facebook page.
Who is Paul Ellis?
Paul Ellis previously served as Rep. Jamie Raskin’s congressional campaign manager.
Ellis’ LinkedIn page shows that Ellis “managed Congressman Raskin’s successful 2018 re-election campaign.”
The Ellis Endorsement
Here’s the text of Paul Ellis endorsing Sunil Dasgupta’s school board campaign.
“I’m personally endorsing Sunil Dasgupta for MoCo Board of Education At Large because he has the experience, vision, and endorsement of our public educators to chart a path for quality public education’s continuance post COVID.”
Ellis also wrote that he had “had positive professional experiences” with candidate Lynne Harris.
But Ellis is sticking with Sunil Dasgupta.
“Sunil’s experience is a better match for the job in these trying times.”
The Washington Post endorsed Lynn Harris, who defeated Dasgupta in the 2020 Montgomery County Board of Education general election.
Paul Ellis Falsely Maligned Stephen Austin
“Do NOT vote for Stephen Austin,” Ellis wrote.
Ellis claimed that Austin would “exacerbate inequality in our county.”
Stephen Austin, he said, “openly stokes racial hatred” and “is abhorrent to the values that make Montgomery County an incredible place.”
There is no evidence to support Ellis’ accusations.
Sunil Dasgupta’s campaign thanked Ellis for endorsing him.
“Look forward to working with you on behalf of all our students,” Dasgupta wrote.
Austin responds to Sunil Dasgupta’s Paul Ellis Endorsement
Stephen Austin fired back.
“I hate that I have to keep writing about my opponents, but this is beyond the pale.”
You can read Austin’s response to Paul Ellis’ Sunil Dasgupta’s endorsement in full in the “Montgomery County MD Neighbors for Local Schools” Facebook group.
Austin said that he holds Dasgupta “just as responsible” for publishing Ellis’s false attacks on his campaign Facebook page.
“This is getting out of control,” Austin said.
“It is absolutely disgusting.”
Austin’s rebuke continued.
“Sunil has so far ‘stayed out’ of the fray by letting his One Montgomery goons do all the punching (and lying).
He has entered into the same despicable arena they traffic in by posting his endorsement from Jamie Raskin’s former campaign manager.”
According to its Facebook page, One Montgomery is a progressive activist group committed to public school equity.
One Montgomery also falsely attacked Stephen Austin’s Board of Education and attacked Austin personally through its social media accounts.
Dasgupta did not respond to A Miner Detail’s requests for comment after publishing Ellis’ endorsement.
However, the Dasgupta campaign removed Ellis’ endorsement from its Facebook page after several people publicly condemned Ellis’ false attacks aimed at Stephen Austin.
Stephen Austin’s 2020 Board of Education campaign
In 2020, Austin decided to run for the Montgomery County Board of Education.
Austin and his wife had two children in Montgomery County Public Schools at the time.
He and his family have since moved out of Montgomery County.
Austin’s 2020 Board of Education campaign focused on returning accountability to parents and the community and closing the achievement gap.
A finance professional, Austin campaigned on finding “innovative budget solutions” and fiscal responsibility.
MCPS Boundary Study
MCPS conducted a countywide boundary analysis to determine which public schools students would attend.
The study aimed to analyze whether school boundaries “impede students’ access to diverse, adequately enrolled schools within walking distance of their homes,” reported Bethesda Beat.
WXY Architecture + Urban Design conducted the study on behalf of Montgomery County Public Schools.
Dasgupta and Austin were often at odds over the necessity of the boundary study.
In February 2020, Austin joined A Miner Detail Podcast to discuss his Board of Education campaign.
Austin’s Facebook Group
Austin launched his Facebook group in 2019 to “activate parents and community members in support of MCPS students attending neighborhood schools.”
In 2021, Austin changed the name of the Facebook group to “MoCo Neighbors for Local Schools.”
The group has more than 8400 members as of April 2022.
Ellis regrets statements and retracts comments aimed at Austin
A Miner Detail emailed the Raskin campaign with a request for comment.
Ellias later responded through his Raskin campaign email account.
“As my friends know, I am a lifelong resident of Montgomery County and a proud graduate of MCPS.
“I have strong feelings about the future of public education in our county.”
Ellis is a 2014 graduate of Montgomery Blair High School and a 2018 graduate of The Ohio State University.
He continued:
“I made statements about this year’s Board of Education at-large race on my personal Facebook page that (sic) interfere with doing my job to strengthen and increase Democratic voter turnout on June 2.
I regret and retract those statements, which were mine and mine alone.”
Ellis encouraged voters to “take time to examine the platform, experience, and activities of all the candidates” running for the Montgomery County Board of Education.
It is unclear who is responsible for updating Dasgupta’s Facebook page and whether Dasgupta himself agreed with Ellis’ comments aimed at Austin.
In 2020, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) endorsed Dasgupta.
During the contentious 2020 election, Dasgupta and Harris often remained silent when their supporters attacked Austin (or other candidates).
Jill Ortman-Fouse and George Leventhal attack Stephen Austin
Former Montgomery County Board of Education member Jill Ortman Fouse and former at-large Montgomery County Councilman George Leventhal (D-Takoma Park) aggressively attacked Austin (and his supporters) on social media throughout the 2020 primary.
Leventhal and Ortman-Fouse are prominent figures in the anti-Austin movement.
Throughout the Board of Education primary that year, Leventhal and Ortman-Fouse leveled vicious personal at Austin and his family.
Jill Ortman-Fouse
In 2018, Ortman-Fouse tossed and turned over running for re-election to the Board of Education or running for the Montgomery County Council.
Ortman-Fouse eventually launched her campaign for an at-large county council seat but was defeated in the 33-person Democratic primary.
George Leventhal
Term limits prevented George Leventhall from running for another team on the Montgomery County Council.
Leventhal ran for Montgomery County executive that year but was defeated in the Democratic primary.
Jeffrey Slavin
Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin (D) also joined Ortman-Fouse and Leventhal in personally attacking Austin.
Slavin sent a trove of aggressive emails to Stephen AustiAustin’s attacking her husband and his Board of Education campaign.
Stephen Austin told A Miner Detail that SlaviSlavin’sls to his wife rattled his family and caused them to fear for their safety.
Sunil Dasgupta’s Board of Education campaign
Sunil Dasgupta is a political science professor at The Universities at Shady Grove.
He was one of 13 candidates who ran for the Montgomery County Board of Education in 2020.
Dasgupta joined A Miner Detail Podcast in 2020 to discuss his Board of Education campaign.
