DENVER — RTD Director Joyann Ruscha has been removed from her committee chair position following a disciplinary review.
The Denver Post was the first to report on a letter RTD Board Chair Julien Bouquet sent to Ruscha that claimed communications with RTD staff members “reflect a serious and concerning pattern of unacceptable conduct.”
The letter, which Denver7 obtained Tuesday morning, also notified Ruscha they were “removed from the OSS (Operations, Safety and Security) committee chair position and removed as member of that Committee.”
Bouquet said Ruscha conducted meetings in a “disorderly and ineffective” manner and violated Colorado’s open meeting’s law.
Ruscha issued a statement in response and said the disciplinary actions were unjustified and “these actions disenfranchise my constituents and harm the democratic process by suppressing free speech and limiting political disagreement at the Regional Transportation District.”
Bouquet’s letter also notified Ruscha that their travel expenses for conferences and training will no longer be covered through the end of 2025.
Ruscha's full statement is below:
As reported by the Denver Post, RTD Chair Julien Bouquet removed my responsibilities, funding, and effective representation as an elected member of the Board of Directors roles without a professional process that follows best practices.
Moreover, it was spurious and wholly unjustified.
These actions disenfranchise my constituents and harm the democratic process by suppressing free speech and limiting political disagreement at the Regional Transportation District.
When elected officials are excluded from governance for holding differing views, it threatens the fundamental principles of self-governance.
This behavior contributes to a longtime culture of fear and silence that discourages directors from speaking openly and holding leadership accountable.
It also disenfranchise my district’s constituents—the most underresourced and transit-dependent community in RTD—and erode public trust in transparent, accountable governance.
The revamped Accountability Committee led by the governor and the legislature cannot come fast enough. The urgent need for a thorough review of internal governance—an area that poses the greatest risk to the agency—cannot be overstated.
- In the meantime, I’m calling on First Vice Chair Patrick O’Keefe to initiate an independent investigation into these actions and the Chair’s handling of personnel and governance matters.
- Until that review is complete, all punitive actions should be immediately rescinded.
Elected officials must be able to serve without fear of retaliation or coercion. Free speech, dissent, and oversight are essential pillars of democratic governance.
Despite these challenges, my commitment to serving the public and advancing meaningful reforms remains unwavering. Here are some examples of key accomplishments during my time on the Board:
- Passed the agency’s first-in-the-nation Transit Vision Zero safety policy to protect workers and riders
- Led passage of critical financial transparency and accountability policies
- Advocated to expand paratransit services and ensure Americans with Disabilities Act compliance
- Registered hundreds of underserved riders for access to RTD programs
- Successfully advocated for fair working conditions for RTD police and ATU frontline employees, including their legal right to speak to the press and the need for proper body armor for police officers to reduce risks during mass shootings or terrorist attacks
- While chairing the Operations, Safety, and Security Committee, I also restored administrative functions and led reforms requested by directors, stakeholder groups, local governments, and state leaders
Throughout this process, I have sought respectful and constructive dialogue, but the lack of a fair and transparent process raises serious questions about internal governance.
To be clear, Chair Bouquet has refused to speak to me for months about his purported concerns. His shocking actions include:
- Removed from my committee chair role, despite being unanimously elected
- Removed from the committee entirely, effectively disenfranchising my constituents and severely restricting my ability to purchase a bait in the government I was elected to serve on.
- Lost access to $10,000+ in professional development funding, which is supported by Board policy established after an audit by the Office of the State Auditor highlighted a lack of professional development opportunities for directors. To effectively participate, I will need to come up with a funding myself.
- Barred from attending a pre-paid APTA conference in Denver after it was already paid for.
- Facing escalating obstruction, procedural interference, and personal hostility from leadership; I repeatedly requested the Chair’s assistance to resolve these issues but did not receive support, all while being unfairly blamed for others’ misconduct.
- Penalized for pushing back on staff interference with Director-initiated actions and Board policy.
- Faced obstruction when attempting to pursue internal complaints regarding staff violations of anti-discrimination policies and RTD rules. These efforts to uphold workplace fairness and protect staff and constituents were met with resistance, and I was subsequently stripped of governance responsibilities because I raised concerns civil rights complaints and whistleblower protections.
I believe that relationships are dynamic and have been (and continue to be open) to mediation and reconciliation, but I cannot control the behavior of others.
Nonetheless, I will continue to advocate boldly on behalf of my constituents and do the job I was elected to do.
Director JoyAnn Ruscha
Board Director, District B
