placed Assistant Superintendent Tony Poole on administrative leave Wednesday, the second time in less than two weeks that the state’s fourth-largest school district launched an investigation into a senior administrator’s conduct.
District officials are investigating Poole, the assistant superintendent of special populations, for “allegations of misconduct in the form of insubordination,” according to a memo obtained by The Denver Post via a public records request.
Spokeswoman Ashley Verville said the Poole investigation is not related to the district’s ongoing investigations into former Superintendent Christopher Smith, who unexpectedly resigned last month, and his wife, Brenda Smith, the district’s chief human resources officer. Brenda Smith was placed on administrative leave Feb. 2.
Poole could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Interim Superintendent Jennifer Perry wrote in an email to staff Wednesday that Poole’s administrative leave was effective immediately, according to a copy of the communication reviewed by The Post.
The Board of Education is scheduled to meet Friday in an executive session — which is closed to the public — to discuss the district’s investigations into Poole and Brenda Smith. The board is also expected to receive legal advice regarding negotiations with Christopher Smith, according to its agenda.
Poole told district officials on Jan. 20, before Christopher Smith’s resignation, that he planned to partially retire later this year. Poole’s wife — Rebecca López, the district’s director of neurodiverse student services — was already on personal leave.
Perry said in her email to staff that Michelle Weinraub will oversee the district’s special populations department until further notice.
Cherry Creek’s school board placed Brenda Smith on leave last week after learning of “allegations of misconduct including contractual and travel matters,” according to a memo obtained by The Post via a public records request.
The memo, written by district general counsel Sonja McKenzie, said Brenda Smith’s administrative leave is not considered by district officials to be a punitive action.
“Currently, the matters are simply being investigated,” McKenzie wrote.
As of Wednesday, there was no update to Brenda Smith’s employment with Cherry Creek Schools, Verville said.
The district froze employee travel and contracts after Christopher Smith’s resignation, a move school board President Anne Egan said Monday was related to “concerns being raised about the decisions and actions” of the former superintendent and his wife.
Cherry Creek is also launching an external audit to review the districtap organizational systems. District officials have not said what specifically triggered the investigations, but the Feb. 2 memo about Brenda Smith is the strongest indication yet that district officials believe misconduct may have occurred.
Brenda Smith spent $38,492.48 on travel — such as airfare, food, conferences, hotels and parking — during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years. That was more than her husband’s $23,499.31 and more than the $13,385 spent by the chief human resources officer at Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest K-12 district, according to expenditures obtained by The Post.
While on leave, Brenda Smith is receiving her $232,142.40 salary and full benefits, but she is not allowed on district property. Her employee badge, keys and computer were confiscated, according to the memo.
McKenzie instructed Brenda Smith not to talk to other district personnel about the allegations against her, the memo states.
Brenda Smith could not be reached for comment.
