ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Supreme Court of Maryland on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, denied review in a case involving Charles County Commissioner Thomasina O. Coates[D-District 2], leaving in place a permanent injunction that bars her from taking part in employment decisions involving County Administrator Mark Belton.
Coates filed her petition for a writ of certiorari on Aug. 18, 2025, after the Appellate Court of Maryland on June 30 largely upheld the injunction and sent the matter back only to revise the form of a declaratory judgment. The appellate court’s mandate issued Aug. 1.
The dispute traces to a June 9, 2020, closed-session vote in which the Board of County Commissioners adopted a “Prompt and Remedial Action,” or PRA, that restricted Coates from direct contact with Belton and from participating in employment decisions concerning him. The move followed an outside investigator’s report that found Belton had been subjected to a hostile work environment and did not substantiate Coates’ discrimination claims.
Litigation began after Dec. 13, 2022, when a newly seated board attempted to act on Belton’s employment. The county attorney deemed a termination vote “illegal,” and commissioners authorized a court action to clarify whether Coates could participate.
Following a Sept. 21, 2023 bench ruling, the circuit court entered a written order Oct. 17, 2023, permanently enjoining Coates from “having any input in any decision making…or other employment decision regarding [Belton]” and from directly contacting him. The order also barred the board from rescinding or amending the PRA with any vote that included Coates.
In her high-court petition, Coates argued the injunction overreaches by constraining an elected official’s core duties, violates separation of powers, chills speech and relies on an administrative measure the board lacked authority to adopt. She also challenged the appellate court’s standing analysis and its conclusion that the county administrator is an “employee” under anti-discrimination law rather than an “appointee on the policymaking level.”
The appellate court, however, characterized the PRA as a valid administrative measure, held the commissioners had standing to seek equitable relief and affirmed the injunction while vacating dismissal of Coates’ counterclaim so a declaratory judgment could be entered consistent with the trial court’s findings.
With Monday’s denial, the appellate ruling stands and the PRA remains in effect. Further action in federal court was not immediately known.
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Back to the drawing board at the tax payers expense. Gotta find a way to blame this on some other person. Maybe Patterson can help a sista out.
good question: will this finish by the Primary? Will this finish by the General?
Please Charles County, please! Vote this human garbage pile out. Collins and Patterson should probably go too for having her back. It’s disgusting. Shame! Shame!
There is no such thing as “the Supreme Court of Maryland” or the “Appellate Court of Maryland”. Maryland’s highest court is the Court of Appeals. Send your uniformed/uneducated reporter back to school please.
https://www.courts.state.md.us/scm
The Supreme Court of Maryland is the State of Maryland’s highest court. The Supreme Court hears cases primarily by way of certiorari.https://thebaynet.com/maryland-high-court-rejects-coates-petition-injunction-remains-in-effect/#comment-132073
they told you, see if you can get back in elementary school so you can learn something.
Not true! Do your homework before you call someone else out!
In 2022….
On Wednesday, the seven-member Court of Appeals, for centuries the top rung on the state’s legal ladder, was formally renamed the Supreme Court of Maryland. And the state’s second-highest court, the Court of Special Appeals, was renamed the Appellate Court of Maryland.
The name change became official when Gov. Larry Hogan (R) signed a proclamation announcing that a majority of voters approved a referendum on the proposed change last month. Three-quarters of Maryland voters approved the name change, which appeared as Question 1 on the ballot; 25% of voters opposed it.
Thomasina is not used to not getting her way. This must be a really hard time for her.
Coates should be removed from District 2 commissioner on an ethics charge. She’s cost Charles taxpayers at least $1.5 million over trying to defend the indefensible.