Policy Accomplishments • Documented Problems • The SRO Contradiction
Auon'tai Anderson's record on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education (2019-2023) contains genuine education policy accomplishments alongside a trail of documented misconduct, legal defeats, and broken trust. This page presents both sides without editorializing — because the full record is damning enough on its own.
Anderson's supporters point to a legitimate list of policy wins during his board tenure. These are real and should be acknowledged:
Working with Moms Demand Action, Anderson championed Colorado's first safe gun storage policy at the school district level — a direct response to the Denver community's demand for gun violence prevention in schools.
Endorsed student voting in school board elections, arguing that the students most affected by board decisions should have a voice in selecting board members.
Led the adoption of the district's most sweeping LGBTQIA+ inclusion policy, covering protections for students and staff across Denver Public Schools.
During the pandemic, Anderson was part of the board effort that kept the DPS system operational and communities fed through school-based food distribution programs.
Supported the reunification of Montbello and West High School — a neighborhood priority that returned community identity to schools that had been split apart by previous administrations.
Advocated for universal dyslexia screening across the district, ensuring early identification for students who might otherwise fall through the cracks in the education system.
Championed free menstrual products in DPS schools, eliminating a barrier that kept students out of the classroom.
Led the removal of School Resource Officers (SROs) from Denver schools in 2020, which Anderson credited with a 90% reduction in student tickets and citations. The long-term consequences of this decision — including the East High School shooting — are addressed below.
Pushed to raise the DPS minimum wage to $20/hour for working families employed by the district — paraprofessionals, custodians, food service workers.
Policy wins do not erase a pattern of misconduct. The following is sourced from official investigations, court records, and reporting from Chalkbeat Colorado, Denver7, the Colorado Sun, the Denver Gazette, and Westword.
2018
While working as a paraprofessional at Manual High School, Anderson publicly attacked people who complained about principal Nick Dawkins on social media. DPS found he violated its anti-retaliation policy. He acknowledged posting but continued anyway after being told the posts could interfere with the investigation. [Source: Chalkbeat Colorado]
2021
Following a 96-page independent investigation ($105,449 cost) that substantiated sexual misconduct with Never Again Colorado members and flirtatious social media contact with a 16-year-old DPS student, the board voted to censure Anderson on September 17, 2021. He was the sole dissenting vote and refused to resign. [Source: Colorado Sun] [Source: Denver7]
2021
Anderson posted a Bugs Bunny with shotgun meme captioned "do it bitch" and made threatening Facebook posts during the investigation. Nineteen of 63 witnesses reported that they expected or feared retaliation for cooperating. [Source: Chalkbeat Colorado]
2021
Three days after the censure, students from 15 Denver schools walked out chanting "Hey hey, ho ho, Tay Anderson has got to go." Anderson left a virtual board meeting to deliver a livestreamed speech doubling down. [Source: Chalkbeat Colorado]
2021–2024
Anderson filed suit against BLM 5280 and others in November 2021. The court dismissed most claims — he failed to show "actual malice." Colorado's anti-SLAPP statute was triggered. In March 2024 he was ordered to pay $61,060 in attorneys' fees. [Source: Denver7] [Source: Denver Gazette]
2022
Anderson and board member Scott Esserman confronted Lt. Col. Gordon Crawford in front of students at Manual High School, falsely blaming him for a district-level JROTC decision and accusing him of racism. When the principal tried to intervene, Anderson refused to back down. No investigation followed. [Source: Denver Gazette]
2022
Anderson was cited for speeding in a school zone on the first day of school. Rather than accepting responsibility, he blamed the police. [Source: Denver7]
2022–2023
Anderson extracted a $3,500 payment from DPS for legal expenses. The settlement included a clause blocking public records release. Board President Gaytan did not know about it until six months after it was drafted. It was only made public after media advocacy. [Source: Chalkbeat Colorado]
2023
Anderson was accused of leaking executive session information about the SRO vote following the East High School shooting. A second censure attempt was launched but ultimately failed. [Source: Chalkbeat Colorado]
2023–2024
Constituent Eve Chen asked on Anderson's official Facebook page where she could request an unredacted investigation report. Anderson deleted her comment and blocked her. Chen sued. Anderson and DPS paid a combined $25,000 to settle the First Amendment lawsuit. Chen's attorney called it "a familiar playbook used by authoritarian leaders across the globe." [Source: Denver Gazette] [Source: Denver7]
2024
Anderson announced a run for Colorado House District 8, then dropped out citing "vote dilution." [Source: Denver7]
2024
Despite his censure history and the 2021 investigation's finding that his behavior "would warrant disciplinary measures for any DPS employee who acted similarly," Anderson was quietly hired as a restorative justice coordinator at Manual Middle School. DPS said hiring decisions are made at the school level. [Source: Denver7]
2025
While managing school board campaigns through Good Trouble Consulting, Anderson posted on Facebook targeting a female critic: "I pray that everything your ancestors did to mine comes back on your entire bloodline for 10 generations." The post drew immediate condemnation as threatening and disproportionate. [Source: Denver Gazette]
2025
A viral confrontation with Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman. Coffman yelled "Austin Lyle. Say his name" — connecting Anderson's championing of SRO removal to the East High School shooting in which student Austin Lyle shot two deans and died by suicide. [Source: Denver7]
This section deserves its own space because it illustrates the gap between Anderson's public posture and his private behavior better than any other single episode.
In 2020, Anderson championed removing School Resource Officers from Denver schools, citing a 90% reduction in student tickets and citations as evidence of success. He framed SRO removal as a pillar of his record — disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline.
Then came March 2023. A student at East High School, Austin Lyle, shot two deans before dying by suicide. The shooting happened in a school without an SRO.
After the shooting, Anderson privately contacted Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas demanding 80 officers in schools — a direct reversal of his public position. In a leaked recording, Anderson told the chief:
"The school board is the ones being blamed for this. You've made yourself the hero."
Publicly, Anderson presented the SRO return as coercion from the mayor — not as something he himself had demanded behind closed doors. He wanted armed officers back in schools while continuing to take credit for removing them.
The contradiction is not subtle. It is a sitting board member privately demanding the opposite of what he championed publicly, then blaming others for the decision he himself pushed for.
This archival site preserves the full public record of Auon'tai M. Anderson. For the detailed narrative of each controversy, see the Controversies page. For the complete chronology, see the Timeline.