When the Rules Don’t Apply:
What One Forced Retirement Reveals About Prince George’s County Hiring Practices
Prince George’s County has a Personnel Law for a reason. It’s supposed to prevent the kind of political musical chairs that erodes public trust — the quiet reclassifications, the temporary slots that become permanent, the jobs that appear out of thin air for the well‑connected. The law is meant to ensure that government work is filled by people who earned it, not people who know someone.
But every so often, a case surfaces that forces us to ask whether the rules are being followed at all.
Recently, a former senior employee — a Community Developer V with the working title Section Chief, Special Projects — shared documentation with me about how she was pushed into early retirement after the county stopped honoring her long‑standing ADA accommodation. She is not a political actor. She is not running for anything. She is not trying to settle a score. She simply wants the record to reflect what happened to her.
And what happened to her raises questions that go far beyond one employee.
A Forced Exit, One Leave Slip at a Time
Her story begins in August, when the Director asked if she “wanted to retire.” She didn’t. She had an ADA accommodation in place — one the county had honored for years. But by early September, the accommodation was effectively ignored. She was forced to burn her leave until her retirement date of December 1.
This is the kind of slow‑motion exit that HR professionals recognize immediately:
deny the accommodation → force the leave → accelerate the retirement.
She didn’t resign. She didn’t walk away. She was pushed.
And within two weeks of her departure, someone else was in the seat.
A Real Position Becomes a 1,000‑Hour Ghost Slot
Before she left, her job was a fully recognized, charter‑compliant position with:
- A position number,
- Fringe benefits,
- A defined place in the agency’s staffing plan,
- And a documented portfolio of programs, initiatives, and events.
After she left, the position was quietly reclassified into a 1,000‑hour slot — a temporary designation that typically:
- Does not include fringe benefits,
- Is not intended for long‑term or managerial work,
- And is often used as a workaround to avoid competitive hiring.
She did the job. She has the calendars, the meetings, the programs, the initiatives.
The work was real. The position was real.
The reclassification was not.
Where This Intersects With the Burroughs II Story
Now, let’s be clear:
She did not say she was forced out to make room for Edward Burroughs II, father of Councilmember Edward Burroughs III. I asked her twice. She declined to make that claim.
But her experience does align with the structural concerns raised by Sherman Hardy in the PG Observer, where he documented the irregular hiring path that placed Burroughs II into a six‑figure role through a series of temporary or non‑competitive classifications — including the same 1,000‑hour structure.
Hardy’s reporting is young, energetic, and sometimes rough around the edges, but he’s doing something important:
he’s documenting the patterns that insiders whisper about but rarely put in writing.
And the pattern is unmistakable:
- Positions reclassified.
- Personnel procedures bypassed.
- Temporary slots used as permanent landing pads.
- And a county government that seems increasingly comfortable ignoring its own rules.
Her case doesn’t prove the Burroughs II hiring was the motive.
But it does show the mechanism.
The Real Question: Are We Following the Law?
This isn’t about personalities.
It’s not about who likes whom.
It’s not about political factions or Facebook feuds.
It’s about whether Prince George’s County is following the Personnel Law that protects every worker — from the newest hire to the most senior manager.
When a permanent, charter‑compliant position is vacated under pressure, reclassified into a temporary slot, and filled almost immediately, the public deserves to know:
- Was the position properly posted?
- Was the competitive process followed?
- Was the 1,000‑hour designation used legally?
- And why was a long‑standing ADA accommodation suddenly ignored?
These are not partisan questions.
They are accountability questions.
And they deserve answers.
A Final Word
Sherman Hardy’s reporting has opened a door.
This former employee’s documentation pushes it wider.
Neither story stands alone — but together, they reveal a county government that may be drifting away from the rules meant to keep it honest.
Prince George’s County residents deserve a government that follows its own laws.
And the people who serve this county — whether they’re well‑connected or not — deserve better than to be pushed out the door so someone else can be quietly ushered in.
