GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Denver7 Investigates has learned that 14 employment contracts, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, were signed improperly in the Cherry Creek School District.
The revelation comes after one parent and district alum filed an open records request to see an interim superintendent's contract.
"I wanted to see what the terms of his contract were," parent Molly Lamar told Denver7 Investigates.
The contract for Toby Arritola, who was previously the district's executive director of strategic initiatives, was signed Feb. 23, 2026 by two members of the district's board of education who are no longer in those positions, and have not been for months following the recent election in November 2025. Arritola's contract was to become assistant superintendent of the Educational Services Center.
Despite the fact that Angela Garland is no longer the board president and is now in a different position on the board, her signature is on Arritola's contract and listed as the president, a role she held last year.
The other signature is from Kelly Bates, where she is listed as the board secretary. Bates is no longer on the board at all after terming out of her position last year.
"They are rubber stamping these $100,000 contracts and not paying any attention to detail. It's not OK," Lamar said.
After Denver7 Investigates began asking questions about Arritola's contract, a spokesperson for the Cherry Creek School District revealed that a total of 14 contracts were impacted by this error. Of those 14, 12 are teachers, one is an assistant superintendent and the other is Arritola's.
Denver7 Investigates requested an interview about what happened, but instead were sent the following statement.
“Each school year, an employee contract is developed with signatures from the current Board President and Board Secretary as of July 1 of that year. It’s typical for more than 8,000 staff contracts to be issued during this time with the current signatures. However, in election years, Board officer positions change in November or December following a statutorily required organizational meeting to elect officers. Under previous leadership of the Department of Human Resources, the change in the Board President and Board Secretary signatures on employee contract templates was not effectuated after the organizational meeting. While this error does not void any current employee contracts, any employee contract issued after the December 2025 change has been updated. This is what caused the incorrect signatures on Toby Arritola’s original contract and it has since been corrected.”
- Ashley Verville, Spokesperson for Cherry Creek Schools
This issue comes after Denver7 Investigates reported about what insiders called a toxic work environment fueled by nepotism.
The now-former superintendent Chris Smith resigned in January, shortly after Denver7 Investigates' original report. His wife, Brenda Smith, who is the chief human resource officer, was then placed on administrative leave Feb. 2. She is still currently under investigation, as is another assistant superintendent, Tony Poole.
"It just appears sloppy and Cherry Creek is not a district that's known to be sloppy," said Jennifer Churchfield, who previously served as the president of the district's board from 2011-2013.
Churchfield said that during her time on the board, including when she was secretary earlier in her tenure, there was no "template or an auto signature."
"I sat after the board meeting and personally signed every single contract that the resolutions and the consent agenda passed," she said.
A district spokesperson said all 14 contracts that were signed incorrectly have been fixed and signed by the appropriate board members. The district sent Denver Investigates a copy of Arritola's updated contract, which was signed on March 11 by current Board President Anne Egan and current Secretary JC Futrell.
Denver7 Investigates reached out to Arritola regarding the contract that was improperly signed, but has not received a response.
Arritola was named an interim assistant superintendent by former Superintendent Smith in the weeks before his resignation.
