State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt announced on Thursday that Shaun Dallas Dance, former Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, pleaded guilty in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County to four counts of perjury.
The perjury charges stem from false filings of his Financial Disclosure Statements for 2012, 2013, and 2015.
The charges allege that from July through December, 2012, Dance actively negotiated and in December, 2012 signed, a no-bid contract between BCPS and SUPES Academy, LLC, while working for SUPES and related company Synesi Associates, LLC.
The first count alleged that, on his Financial Disclosure Form covering 2012, filed under oath in 2013, Dance allegedly falsely reported that he had no interest in any companies during 2012 and that he had no sources of earned income other than BCPS, when he actually owned Deliberate Excellence Consulting, LLC and was personally paid $ 500.00 by SUPES and $13,500.00 from Synesi.
During 2013, Dance was allegedly paid nearly $72,000.00 by Deliberate Excellence Consulting, for services rendered by Dance to Synesi, City of Providence Public Schools and Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Education Services.
The second count alleges that on August 29, 2016, Dance amended his 2013 Financial Disclosure Statement, filing an addendum under oath stating that he earned no income from Deliberate Excellence Consulting during 2013.
It is alleged in the third count, that Dance continued to own Deliberate Excellence Consulting, LLC, and personally had income of about $12,000.00 from other entities, yet reported under oath on his 2015 Financial Disclosure Statement, filed in April, 2016, that he had no business ownership, and that he had no sources of earned income other than BCPS and “DEC, LLC”.
The final count alleges that in August, 2016, Dance amended his Financial Disclosure filing for 2015 by filing an addendum under oath stating that he earned nothing from Deliberate Excellence, LLC in 2015 although he received about $47,000.00 for services rendered by him through the company.
Dance’s sentencing is set for April 20, 2018 at 9:30 a.m.
Baltimore County Public Schools interim Superintendent Verletta White has issued the following statement following Dance’s guilty plea:
“We are saddened by the news but trust the judicial process. Now, we must stay focused on our students, our school system, and the important work of teaching and learning that takes place in classrooms every day. Our 113,000 students, 21,000 employees, and the Baltimore County Public Schools community deserve no less.”
