An impartial investigation discovered Board of Schooling member John Youngquist exhibited “belittling, dismissive and condescending conduct” towards Denver Public Faculties staff, and that he confirmed biases when interacting with workers of shade, in line with a report launched Monday night.
Regardless of these findings, the report acknowledged that the investigation was unable to find out whether or not Youngquist intentionally discriminated towards staff, stating that there was no proof that the college board member confirmed overt racism towards workers, corresponding to using slurs.
“We’re unable to achieve a conclusion as as to if Mr. Youngquist intentionally acted in a biased method in direction of some district leaders of shade based mostly on the obtainable proof,” wrote attorneys David D. Powell Jr. and Sara R. Bodner with the Denver-based agency Garnett Powell Maximon Barlow and Farbes.
Youngquist couldn’t instantly be reached Monday night.
The attorneys have been employed by the college board in June to conduct the investigation, which price no less than $78,045 as of Oct. 10, in line with invoices reviewed by JHB.
The college board launched the investigation after Superintendent Alex Marrero requested administrators to censure Youngquist, whom he accused of hostile conduct towards workers, particularly staff of shade. The elected physique is scheduled to carry a public assembly Wednesday to debate Marrero’s request.
“I need to state clearly that I’m not shocked by these findings, although I stay deeply upset,” Marrero wrote in an e-mail to the college board. “The small print outlined within the report verify what many have skilled firsthand: a sustained sample of conduct that’s each damaging and unacceptable in any skilled surroundings. Nobody needs to be anticipated to work beneath such situations.”
Youngquist, a former East Excessive Faculty principal, has discovered himself at odds with district workers and different college board members since his election to the governing physique in 2023.
On Friday, Youngquist accused DPS leaders, together with Marrero, of repeatedly retaliating towards him as a result of he tried to sound the alarm about college security earlier than the 2023 East Excessive taking pictures.
Board members took a uncommon step and publicly criticized Youngquist in a January assembly after he accused them of violating the state’s open assembly legislation.
Throughout the assembly, his colleagues scolded Youngquist for his therapy of DPS staff, however didn’t particularly disclose how his conduct was improper past noting he was persistent in attempting to obtain full compensation for his official duties.
Three administrators — Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán, Michelle Quattlebaum and Scott Esserman — particularly accused Youngquist of “conduct unbecoming of a board member towards DPS workers” in 2024.
Youngquist informed The Submit earlier this yr that he was conscious of offending no less than two senior district workers members: DPS Chief of Employees Deborah Staten and Basic Counsel Aaron Thompson.
Emails beforehand reported by The Submit confirmed that Youngquist and Thompson butted heads because the director didn’t really feel that the lawyer adequately answered his questions. Thompson, in his responses, implied that Youngquist’s scrutiny stemmed from “unexamined biases” and famous that the director largely interacts with staff of shade, together with himself, Staten and Marrero.
However tensions between Youngquist and DPS workers reached new heights — no less than publicly — this spring after Marrero despatched a scathing e-mail to board President Carrie Olson, which laid out quite a few grievances towards Youngquist.
Within the e-mail, Marrero accused Youngquist of wanting his job, making a poisonous work surroundings, undermining DPS leaders, and exhibiting racial insensitivity towards workers. (Youngquist has denied wanting the superintendency and referred to as Marrero’s e-mail a “private assault, which I don’t perceive.”)
Youngquist’s conduct “constitutes a severe menace to the well being, performance and integrity of our faculty district,” Marrero wrote within the e-mail.
The college board hardly ever censures its members, which is the strongest step it may possibly take to formally rebuke a director. The board doesn’t have the authority to take away a member.
A DPS board final censured a member in 2021 after an outdoor investigation discovered former director Auon’tai Anderson flirted on-line with a teenage pupil and made intimidating social media posts.
The college board spent greater than $190,000 on the Anderson investigation, which didn’t substantiate essentially the most severe allegations, of sexual assault, made towards the previous board vice chairman.
It is a creating story and will likely be up to date.
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