Attorneys for the Cherry Creek School District last month sent a cease-and-desist letter to the attorney for the district’s former superintendent and his wife after anonymous letters were mailed throughout the district.
The cease-and-desist email was sent May 21 to the attorney for Chris and Brenda Smith, stating that there was belief that the Smiths "contributed significantly" to the letter.
Sources tell Denver7 Investigates that there are multiple versions of letters that were sent out to home addresses of district staff and board members. In one copy, obtained by Denver7 Investigates through a source, the letter alleges that Board President Anne Egan was accused of being racist by Board Vice President Angela Garland. The letter is signed by “a concerned citizen and employee.”
It also alleges that Chief Financial Officer Scott Smith — who is not related to Chris and Brenda Smith — used bullying tactics and sent inappropriate emails to colleagues.
The cease-and-desist states that the anonymous letters contains "mistruths and misinformation." It's signed by attorneys Jane Waterman-Joyce and Sonja McKenzie.
"To the extent your clients have any involvement in these communications, we are further demanding that your clients cease and desist from engaging in any further misleading communications. Please govern yourselves accordingly," the cease-and-desist reads.
The Smiths’ attorney, Anthony Leffert, adamantly denies that the Smiths were involved in writing the anonymous letter.
In a statement, the school board said, "There is a persistent pattern of harassment directed at the volunteer Board of Education that is wasting taxpayer dollars and undermining the Board’s ability to focus on its core message of education. Moving forward, the Board will be focusing solely on serving the students and families of Cherry Creek School District."
Chris Smith resigned in late January after a series of Denver7 reports exposing what insiders called a "toxic culture" inside the district. Brenda Smith was fired last month after an investigation found "significant policy violations," regarding travel expenses. She had been placed on paid administrative leave in early February.
The cease-and-desist email states that the anonymous letter "is particularly concerning as it targets a witness in the recent Smith Investigation and threatens to target two other witnesses. We want to again remind you and your clients that your clients are to refrain from retaliating against any witnesses in that investigation."
Nine people were interviewed for the investigation into the Smiths. All of the names were redacted outside of Brenda Smith. The report also noted that Chris Smith declined to participate.
