The Cherry Creek Schools Board of Directors has filled its vacant seat after the resignation of Board Member Terry Bates in late April.
Keith Frazier, who has children in the district and is on the steering committee on the Voices of Color parent group, will fill the open seat in District D.
Frazier was one of five finalists the board interviewed Wednesday. The board voted unanimously for Frazier after all candidates were interviewed publicly.
The board issued a statement in a press release following the vote that read: “We had a great set of applicants and we appreciate members of our community stepping forward to serve this District. Mr. Frazier’s interview was exceptional, and he demonstrated a strong commitment to this District. We are excited about welcoming Mr. Frazier as a colleague on the Board.”
Frazier is a graduate of Princeton University with a degree in electrical engineering and currently works as an acquisition entrepreneur. He will be sworn in at the board’s regular meeting Monday, and his term will end in November 2027.
The seat opened on April 24, when Terry Bates, who was elected the previous November, abruptly resigned at a special board meeting where it was revealed that he had made recent “racialized remarks,” and also had inappropriate conversations prior to his election.
Denver7 Investigates later obtained three emailed complaints about Bates that accused him of making racial comments to a Latino family at a school function roughly a week before he resigned. The complaints stated that during a conversation, Bates asked the family if they had “used a coyote” when immigrating to the U.S.
“We were disgusted and appalled,” one of the emails said of the comments.
Bates told Denver7 Investigates that he was making small talk, and that he wanted to reach out to the family, but was told it had been handled. He also issued an apology to the school board.
Bates’ wife, Kelly, held this seat for the previous eight years and was school board president from 2021-2023.
