’ chief financial officer accused former Board of Education member Terry Bates of “intimidation, bullying, and unethical behavior” more than a month before Bates resigned unexpectedly, according to an email obtained by The Denver Post.
In doing so, the district official, Scott Smith, also alleged that Bates planned to interfere in an external audit that Cherry Creek Schools is expected to launch in the wake of the districtap recent leadership turmoil. The March 6 email, obtained by The Denver Post via the Colorado Open Records Act, said Bates wanted to make sure the audit’s findings “place blame” on Smith for the K-12 system’s problems.
“It is highly concerning to me that any member of the Board of Education would hope for any result other than one of facts and truth,” Smith wrote in his email to district general counsel Sonja McKenzie. “… The fact that Terry Bates intends on dictating a biased, politically influenced, and accusatory audit contradicts the values of Cherry Creek School District and those of public finance professionals such as myself.”
Interim Superintendent Jennifer Perry told Smith that Bates made a comment about the district needing to ensure that the auditap findings placed blame on him, the financial officer alleged in his complaint.
On Monday, Bates denied the allegations made by Smith, including those regarding possible interference with the audit. “Absolutely not,” he said.
“He’s just running for cover right now,” Bates said of Smith. “He’s probably afraid of what the findings are going to be.”
District officials are scrutinizing whether a paid trip taken by former Superintendent Christopher Smith and his wife, Brenda Smith, the district’s human resources director, influenced their decision to award about $3 million in contracts to a firm called Education Accelerated. (The Smiths are not related to Scott Smith.)
Christopher Smith resigned in January and Cherry Creek placed Brenda Smith on paid leave. In the months since, the district has launched a series of reforms, including adding oversight of contracts and employee travel.
The audit referenced in Scott Smith’s March email will review Cherry Creek’s organizational systems and structures, including fiscal responsibilities.
Bates was a member of the committee — as is Smith — that will oversee , including the hiring of a firm to conduct the review. The district has set aside $250,000 toward the audit.
When asked about Scott Smith’s email regarding Bates, Abbe Smith, a district spokeswoman, said in a statement: “Mr. Bates has resigned from the Board of Education and no longer serves in any capacity for the district. The integrity of the audit process remains intact, and we look forward to receiving the audit committee’s recommendations regarding the selection of a vendor.”
(Abbe Smith is not relate to Christopher and Brenda Smith.)
Bates said Monday that he pushed for the independent audit “so we could put all the chips on the table and have full transparency.”
Bates resigned on April 24, a move that came as his colleagues on the board accused him of making “racialized remarks.” The board did not provide details about the incident.
“I want to be clear that my comment was not intended to be hurtful or discriminatory,” Bates wrote in an apology to the school board.
“However, I recognize that intent does not outweigh impact, and raising that topic at all — particularly in that setting — was a lapse in judgment,” he added. “I have a deep respect for the Mexican community and culture, which makes it especially disappointing to me that my words did not reflect that respect in the moment.”
