DENVER — The Cherry Creek School Board announced Friday that it is paying out more than $160,000 to former Superintendent Chris Smith for unused sick leave and vacation time.
Smith told the board he was resigning in late January and announced his retirement the following day. His last day at the district was Jan. 30.
He was paid a total of $163,927.87, which includes $119,857.87 in unused sick leave and $44,070 in vacation leave. A news release late Friday from the district said this payout is in accordance with his contract.
Smith’s retirement came after a series of Denver7 Investigates reports exposing what insiders called a “toxic culture” within the district. The insiders said the relationship between Smith and his wife, Chief Human Resource Officer Brenda Smith, left employees with nowhere to go if they had complaints.
- Watch the first in a series of several reports about the Cherry Creek School District's "toxic culture" in the video player below:
Sources spoke to Denver7 Investigates with their faces disguised and their voices altered because they said they feared retaliation. Denver7 Investigates also obtained roughly a dozen complaint letters, including one that accused Superintendent Smith of unprofessional conduct, retaliation against employees and misallocation of budgetary items, including expenses and salaries.
Brenda Smith is currently on administrative leave, as is Assistant Superintendent of Special Populations Tony Poole. The board is having a special meeting Tuesday to discuss legal advice on the personnel investigations into both Poole and Brenda Smith.
In the past few weeks, the board has also announced that it will form a committee to search for an outside firm to conduct an external audit of the district.
