6/14/22, 6:59 PM Denver Public Schools Mail - DLT Mtg 05/13/2022 - public record on Tay Anderson's offensive behavior

XOCHITL GAYTAN <xochitl_gaytan@dpsk12.net>

DLT Mtg 05/13/2022 - public record on Tay Anderson's offensive

behavior

1 message

XOCHITL GAYTAN <xochitl_gaytan@dpsk12.net> Fri, May 13, 2022 at 11:48 PM

To: ALEX MARRERO <alex_marrero@dpsk12.net>, MICHELLE BERGE
<michelle_berge@dpsk12.net>, DEBORAH STATEN <deborah_staten@dpsk12.net>, Richard
Charles <richard_charles@dpsk12.net>

This email serves as a public record and as a provision to note Tay Anderson's deeply offensive
behavior toward women, especially women of color. On Monday, May 13th at 10:00 a.m. we had
the regularly scheduled District Leadership Team meeting. In attendance: Deborah Staten, 
Melissa Rosales and myself (in- person). Tay Anderson and Dr. Richard Charles attended virtually.

In this meeting, Tay started a conversation with Deborah around the North High School student
walkout and his concerns around their safety. We addressed those issues and concerns. We then
moved on to the business at hand of discussing board agenda items for the next board meeting.
Tay then made a demand for in-person public comment at the next board meeting because he had
committed to the DMLK Principal and student group that we accommodate them in-person.
Deborah explained to Tay that it would not be something we would be doing and would not be
making special accommodations for the DMLK student group as this isn't something we've been
practicing for quite some time. She explained that it's been a virtual public comment for quite some
time and we have continued this practice all along.

I reiterated what Deborah said and explained to Tay that ever since I've been on the board that the
practice has always been virtual public comment. I reminded him of the fact that, as a board, we
agreed to work on a public comment policy at our next board retreat and that we needed to update
that policy and vote on it. Tay then began to argue and raise his voice at both Deborah and I. He
made an egregious statement that seemed directed at Deborah but could have been directed to
both Deborah and myself since we both spoke up against this idea of in-person public
comment. Tay's response was "Well then you all respond to Kim Grayson and let her know that you
are blocking black students from accessing the school board." 

At some point in his arguments, Tay also used our white student athletes as an example of how
we make space for white students versus black students referring to the night we invited our
Athletic Director to the board meeting to honor student athletes on teams that had won
championships in their respective sports. He chose the race bait strategy on two women of color to
try to manipulate us into agreeing to his demand of in-person public comment.

Both Deborah and I addressed Tay's comment. In my recollection, Deborah did tell him that he
used the race card against her and thought it was unfair for him to do so. Deborah added that she
was being consistent with the current practice of virtual public comment and it had nothing to do
with race but rather with being consistent with our current practice for public comment. 

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6/14/22, 6:59 PM Denver Public Schools Mail - DLT Mtg 05/13/2022 - public record on Tay Anderson's offensive behavior

I then reiterated the same thing and reminded Tay again that this was in fact our current practice -
to have our technical crew support us in providing access to the Denver School board through
virtual public comment. I reiterated and I repeated that if Latino students were demanding that I
allow them into the conference room, in-person, that I would have to tell them as well that they
could only access the Denver School board through virtual public comment. I also added in my
statement to Tay that we would be working on the public comment policy as a board, updating that
policy and voting on it at a future date. After several minutes of Tay raising his voice, arguing with
us back and forth, continuing to raise his voice at two women of color, he finally let that argument
go.

Tay then informed Scott Esserman of his demand for in-person public comment, prompting
Esserman to send an email to the board requesting an electronic vote take place for the
consideration of a hybrid in-person/virtual public comment for the next board meeting. This is only
one example of many where Tay takes to Esserman to assist him in making Tay's demands a
priority for board work that, I repeat, women of color (Deborah, Melissa, Xochitl) lead the efforts
on. 

Later that same afternoon, approximately 3pm, Tay Anderson did appear in the central
administration office in-person. Deborah did address him while I was standing in the hallway with
her. Deborah expressed she wanted to be heard around her disappointment with his remarks from
our 10am meeting in insinuating that she was a racist. He said he did not insinuate that. I repeated
the statement that he made and asked him what he was insinuating by it. Tay lifted up his hands
as if signaling that he didn't know what I was referring to and then said, "You can interpret what I
said in whatever way you want.". Tay then refused to speak on the matter after that.

This is only one example of many where Tay Anderson continues to exhibit sexist and misogynistic
behavior by raising his voice at women (and women of color at that), being constantly
argumentative by using race baiting strategies and creating a hostile work environment for all
those present in work meetings. I can only imagine the grave concern and stress Melissa had to
experience in watching this unfold before her. I cannot speak to Deborah's and Melissa's stress
levels but I certainly feel deep angst and stress every time he behaves this way in our meetings.

Attentively,
Xóchitl 'Sochi' Gaytán, President
Board of Education Director - District 2
Pronouns: she, her, hers
1860 Lincoln St., Denver, CO 80203 
o (720) 423-3211| c (720) 446-6264 | board.dpsk12.org
Students First • Integrity • Equity • Collaboration • Accountability • Fun

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