Denver faculty board president to maneuver to censure VP Auon’tai Anderson — science weblog

Denver faculty board President Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán mentioned she’s going to transfer to censure board Vice President Auon’tai Anderson for alleged violations of board coverage within the wake of the March 22 capturing at East Excessive College.

Gaytán has accused Anderson of revealing to the press confidential data from a closed-door govt session of the board, amongst different violations. Anderson has mentioned the data he disclosed was shared outdoors of the chief session. 

The board is about to debate the alleged violations at a gathering Monday earlier than the matter strikes to a vote on April 20, Gaytán mentioned. 

Anderson declined to remark Friday. 

The transfer comes after a yr of character conflicts, energy struggles, and makes an attempt at reconciliation between board members. The board is underneath extra public scrutiny within the wake of the capturing at East, which has raised questions on faculty security and self-discipline coverage.

Censuring a board member requires a majority vote of the board.

On March 23, the day after a pupil shot two workers members at East, Denver board members met in a closed-door session, then voted unanimously to return cops to Denver faculties. On March 27, Anderson, who beforehand led the trouble to take away police from faculties, held a press convention by which he mentioned the mayor compelled the board’s hand. 

Anderson mentioned Denver Mayor Michael Hancock “had an govt order able to be drafted and declare a public well being emergency … to deploy faculty useful resource officers again to colleges.” Hancock’s workplace has denied this. 

Gaytán described Anderson’s feedback as a violation of board coverage in a memo final month. 

In keeping with a duplicate obtained by Chalkbeat, the memo alleges that Anderson “disclosed data mentioned in Govt Session. Particularly, naming the Mayor’s non-public communication with the Superintendent relating to the creation of an Govt Order to handle faculty security.”

Anderson has mentioned that Superintendent Alex Marrero relayed that data to him earlier than the chief session.

Gaytán’s memo additionally chastises Anderson for holding the press convention in any respect and for making “inaccurate statements” in regards to the shooter at East, pupil Austin Lyle, and his historical past of expulsion from the neighboring Cherry Creek College District.

The memo lays out what Gaytán sees because the potential impacts of Anderson’s actions.

“Statements from the press convention being held by VP Anderson could also be used as a part of a lawsuit towards the District relating to the Board’s culpability for the violence at East HS,” it says.

Anderson was censured by the board in 2021 for violating expectations of board member conduct after an investigation discovered he’d had flirtatious contact with college students on social media. Investigators additionally discovered that Anderson made two social media posts in the course of the investigation that might have been seen as coercive or intimidating to witnesses.

Melanie Asmar is a senior reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado, masking Denver Public Colleges. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.