Award Recipient Banned from FCPS
A young man with a criminal record received a prestigious award last week for his work with at-risk children. For the recipient Aje Hill, however, the evening was a bittersweet victory tinged with irony.
Shortly before receiving the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award from Comptroller Peter Franchot on Dec. 5, Hill was officially banned from Frederick County Public Schools. Hill, who had become a familiar face at local schools since founding the nonprofit, I Believe in Me, two years ago, was notified via letter that his criminal past precluded him from stepping foot on FCPS property in the future.
[Pictured above, Peter Franchot, Aje Hill, Sen. Ron Young and Alderman-Elect Ben MacShane at the Bread of Life Church, Dec. 5. Photo by The Frederick Extra]
In the letter dated Nov. 17 - shortly after principals were informed that Hill was to receive the state recognition - FCPS Security Director Scott Blundell informed Hill that he was banned due to his criminal history, and warned him that he would be arrested for trespassing if he stepped foot on school property.
The letter was copied to principals from Lincoln, North Frederick, and Ballenger Creek Elementary Schools, as well as the Frederick Police Department and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department.
Blundell listed a series of marijuana-related charges in the letter, as well as a 2016 charge where he was accused of placing an “intimate image” on the internet. The charge, made by a former girlfriend, was dropped. Hill also had a 2013 warrant in Georgia as a result of running a stop sign when he lived in Atlanta.
I Believe in Me was founded as an outreach program to help steer kids away from a destructive lifestyle that Hill himself had once embraced. As part of the program that serves children aged six to 16, Hill met with teachers, joined students for lunch in the cafeteria, and had permission from 11 parents to speak on their child’s behalf. I Believe in Me also sponsors an after-school program at the Bread of Life Church. The program currently serves 54 children.
On Dec. 5, Hill was honored at a ceremony at the Bread of Life Church, and received accolades for his efforts from Franchot, Del. Kathy Afzali (R-Dist. 4), Sen. Ron Young (D-Dist.3), Alderman Kelly Russell (D) and Lincoln ES PTA President Katie Nash. Nash nominated him for the award, which is given annually to one person in each county. Karlys Kline was last year’s Frederick County recipient. Aldermen-elect Ben MacShane (D) and Derek Shackelford (D) also attended the ceremony.
“People like Aje Hill deserve to be recognized and celebrated,” Franchot said. Nash called him “an integral member of our Lincoln family” whose organization acts as “a secondary village for parents.”
Franchot praised Hill for being on the front lines in his work with disadvantaged children, “at no expense to the taxpayer.” He vowed to find money to assist Hill and IBM continue their work. “I promise you, if someone can produce this positive an impact with zero money, think of what we can do …. Maybe we can help locate direct assistance so that you kids can be part of a much bigger outreach.”
A retired police officer, Alderman Russell told the crowd of children, parents, friends and colleagues that they are fortunate to have Hill. “We all make mistakes,” Russell said. “The important thing, the life-changing thing, is when you share your gifts with other people. You have been so fortunate to have Aje share his gifts with you.”
In response to an inquiry from The Frederick Extra, FCPS spokesman Michael Doererr said in an email that “it's not appropriate to comment on any specific volunteer, particularly given that specific decisions can be appealed to the Superintendent and Board of Education.”
According to FCPS policy, parents, students, employees and interested parties have 10 days to appeal a decision made by the Superintendent.
The Nov. 15 letter from Blundell to Hill, however, did not include information about the appeal process. Hill sent an email to Superintendent Theresa Alban, Ph.D, asking to be reinstated. When he did not hear back within a week, he sent another email, and was later informed the Alban supported the decision to bar him from Frederick County Public Schools.
Principals can deny access to anyone they think might compromise school safety for any reason, Doerrer said in an email. “. . . Certain issues, like criminal activity involving drugs, sex, violence, weapons, or harm to children, are of obviously of particular concern to schools. We evaluate all other offenses (when we know about them) on a case-by-case basis to determine if it is in the best interest of students or the school system to allow someone with a criminal background to volunteer,” he said. “If a specific concern regarding a volunteer is raised (by a principal, school employee, community member, etc.), FCPS staff would investigate those concerns and act based on the results of that investigation.”
As for FCPS policy regarding volunteers, Doererr said that all FCPS volunteers are given training at the schools at which they volunteer. and must also follow FCPS policies and regulations, including policies and regulations related to building access and visitor management. FCPS fingerprints volunteers if a school principal indicates that individual may be working with student groups unsupervised, he said.
At the Dec. 5 event Hill talked openly about his motivation for creating IBM and emphasized his commitment to continue the program.
“I am so thankful to even be standing here today,” Hill said. “In my life, I hurt so many people, including myself and my family and the ones who did believe in me. Today, I am able to stand here and have 54 kids in a program who not only believ in me, but believe in themselves … I will continue to put every resource on the table to make you guys the future.”
