Montgomery County Public Schools granted a 600 percent pay raise to a principal with 18 counts of sexual assault, harassment, and bullying reported against him.

Joel Beidleman was employed with the Maryland district for years as principal of Farquhar Middle School, and was promoted in June to run Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville. MCPS announced on Friday that Beidleman would take an “extended leave,” after a bombshell report from the Washington Post highlighted the former administrator’s years of alleged harassment. Many sources interviewed for the Post’s article agreed to publicize Beidleman’s purported misconduct because of his new position.

Educators who used to work with Beidleman told the Post that he was “the most vindictive person I’ve ever met” and “a tyrant who tried to force himself on people, whether emotionally, sexually or professionally,” adding that “this person should not be exposed to students.”

Eighteen verbal or written assaults have been submitted to MCPS about Beidleman by staff members, parents, and union stewards. Complaints claim that Beidleman bullied and harassed 39 current or former staffers. Examples of misconduct include Beidleman’s comment to a social studies teacher that she should “shave your p**** and sell the hair,” and a threat to demote a school administrator over her relationship with another male colleague.

In July 2017, a former PTA president asked to remove her daughter from Beidleman’s middle school, after he allegedly referred to an eight-grader as a “whore.” The district allowed the transfer, according to the Post. Beidleman also allegedly made derogatory comments about women’s bodies and outfits and encouraged, to an uncomfortable degree, staff to consume alcohol.

MCPS said it will conduct an “external investigation about all matters brought to our attention by the Washington Post,” claiming that, “we are applying the highest levels of focus and seriousness to the overwhelming allegations surfaced through the Post’s investigation and are acting swiftly to protect our community and our employees”

One teacher said that “MCPS has some major explaining to do as to why it took media involvement to do something.” Official reports date back to 2016, but Beidleman was not reprimanded before the Post launched its investigation.