Piling allegations, plummeting morale drove Montgomery board upheaval

Montgomery County Council members decided to fire the county’s entire planning board when seemingly fleeting personnel issues escalated within weeks, deepening fault lines that impeded the board’s ability to work together, the council’s president said Thursday.

First came an internal investigation that found board chair Casey Anderson had kept a liquor cabinet in his agency office and shared drinks with colleagues after-hours. Then, allegations leaked to the press that Anderson had created a “toxic” workplace at the planning department by making misogynistic comments. The next day, the board abruptly fired the county’s nationally recognized and widely respected planning director, three months before she was set to retire.