Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education will investigate Superintendent Alex Marrero’s allegations that Director John Youngquist discriminated against employees of color, board President Carrie Olson said Monday.
The school board met in a closed-to-the-public executive session last week to receive legal advice regarding allegations Marrero made in an email to Olson last month. Historically, the board has hired outside attorneys to investigate allegations against directors.
“The board is committed to having a welcoming and inclusive environment in its schools and facilities, and we take allegations of discrimination seriously,” Olson said in a statement. “The district prohibits discrimination and has a grievance procedure to investigate and respond to complaints of discrimination in a manner that is fair and impartial.”
Olson, in her statement to The Denver Post, did not say what the investigation will specifically examine, other than “complaints of discrimination.”
Youngquist, a former East High principal, said in a statement Monday that he supports the board’s decision to launch an investigation, which “should have occurred prior to a public announcement by the superintendent.”
“I am confident that my name will be cleared of the accusations made by the superintendent and that we will be able to move forward with the work of the Board of Education for the children of Denver,” he said.
In an April 22 email to Olson, Marrero requested that the board censure — or formally rebuke — Youngquist, whom the superintendent accused of “hostile and demeaning behavior toward staff, particularly staff of color” and of having “racist and oppressive undertones” in his interactions with employees of color.
“Mr. Youngquist has repeatedly engaged in belittling, dismissive and condescending behavior toward district staff, especially employees of color,” Marrero wrote. “…It is my strong belief — based on his repeated targeting of staff of color, his consistent dismissal of equity-focused progress and his undermining of diverse leadership — that Mr. Youngquist’s actions reflect deeply rooted oppressive tendencies.”
The superintendent also accused Youngquist of seeking his job and actively working against the district.
Olson and school board Vice President Marlene De La Rosa met with Marrero “so he knows what our next steps are,” Olson said in her statement.
Marrero’s letter was at least the second time that DPS employees or board members have accused Youngquist of racism and mistreating staff. In January, Youngquist’s colleagues on the board scolded him after he accused them of violating the state’s open meeting law and for his treatment of district staff, many of whom are people of color.
The superintendent’s email was sent a week before the school board voted to extend Marrero’s contract and made it harder for the board to fire the superintendent. Youngquist voted against the extension.
Marrero’s request for the board to censure Youngquist was notable because such a move is rare. The last time a DPS board censured a member was in 2021 after an outside investigation found Auon’tai Anderson flirted online with a teenage student and made intimidating social media posts.
The school board does not have the authority to remove a member.
Youngquist, who serves as the school board’s secretary, was elected in 2023. His term ends in two years.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter.
Originally Published:
