Cherry Creek Schools board member Terry Bates resigned Friday afternoon at a special meeting where it was revealed he had made racial remarks and had inappropriate conversations prior to his election.
A statement read by Board President Anne Egan after Bates’ announcement noted that the board was recently made aware of the inappropriate comments by Bates. Bates was elected in November 2025.
“When a member’s actions fall short of board policy and those values, we must address it directly and stand for what is right. As a Board, we have zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” part of the statement read.
There was no elaboration on Bates’ racial remarks, and Egan’s statement said they would not elaborate to protect the people involved.
Bates’ wife, Kelly, served as a board member for eight years, finishing her term last year. She was board president from 2021-2023. Terry Bates filled her seat after she termed out.
The CCSD board met at 4 p.m. Friday and immediately went into executive session. The agenda stated it was to discuss legal matters related to board policy.
They reconvened roughly an hour later where Bates announced his resignation, which the board accepted unanimously. Bates was serving as treasurer for the board. Board member Mike Hamrick will step into that role.
A district spokesperson said it’s yet to be determined how Bates’ seat will be filled.
Full Cherry Creek Schools Board of Education Statement:
“As elected leaders serving the Cherry Creek Schools community, we have a responsibility to respect the district’s values, uphold district policies, and act with the utmost professionalism.
When a member’s actions fall short of board policy and those values, we must address it directly and stand for what is right. As a Board, we have zero tolerance for this type of behavior.
We have credible information that Board Director Terry Bates made racialized remarks that were unacceptable and inconsistent with our values. In addition, others reported concerning interactions. To protect the privacy of individuals involved, we will not release details about this matter.
We also have been recently made aware of inappropriate remarks made by Mr. Bates before his election to the Board.
We cannot overlook these actions. For that reason, we join together in accepting his resignation from the board.
