The former communications director fired by Denver Public Schools in February alleges in internal emails that he faced harassment and retaliation from district officials after filing a formal discrimination complaint last year.
In March emails obtained by The Denver Post, Will Jones told district officials that his “tenure at Denver Public Schools was unfortunately marred by instances of racial discrimination, harassment and subsequent retaliatory actions following my filing of a discrimination prevention and response (DPR) complaint.”
Jones went on to say that, despite his efforts to seek support from district leaders, including Superintendent Alex Marrero, “the situation escalated, culminating in the elimination of my role and my termination on February 8, 2024.”
DPS spokesman Bill Good said the district did not terminate Jones’ employment because of the discrimination complaint, but he could not comment on personnel matters. The findings of the subsequent third-party investigation into Jones’ complaint have not been made public.
In an interview, Jones said he lost his job after almost nine years with DPS when the district restructured its communications team. He declined to discuss the nature of his discrimination complaint or say who he filed it against. When asked about what he said in emails to the district, he said, “I stand by it.”
Jones held a news conference Thursday at which he accused Colorado’s largest district of not being transparent with parents, students and school board members.
He said he has “deep concerns” about the lack of accountability in the district and took aim at the Board of Education’s governance model, saying it prevents DPS employees from communicating with board members about what is happening in the district.
DPS said in a statement that under the board’s governance model, members are not involved in the day-to-day operations of the district, as such responsibilities belong to Marrero. Instead, the board sets long-term goals for the district to achieve under the superintendent’s leadership.
“The previous iteration of the board, through policy, agreed to limit its information requests to reduce the administrative burden on district staff and resources,” the school board said in a statement Thursday evening. “If the board ever believes it is not receiving the information it requires, the board may revisit and change this policy at any time.”
Jones also criticized DPS’s use of confidentiality agreements, which employees in the communications department were asked to sign earlier this year.
“I believe that information is a good thing,” he said. “More information is better.”
DPS said in a statement that the confidential agreements do not prevent employees from speaking out about wrongdoing as they are still protected under the federal whistleblower program.
“Denver Public Schools prioritizes the safeguarding of student and employee information,” the district said in the statement. “Numerous employees, including those in student services, human resources, legal, communications and IT, require access to confidential data and sign NDAs to remind them of their obligations under privacy laws.”
In the emails between Jones and district officials, he alleged DPS violated his rights under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, and asked for two years of past wages and four years of future wages, which he said was in alignment with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause.
DPS declined the settlement offer, according to the documents.
Upon his firing in February, Jones declined to sign two versions of a separation agreement that the district offered him, including one that would have paid a one-time sum of $40,716.18, if he agreed not to pursue legal action against the district, according to documents reviewed by The Post.
Jones said in an interview that he didn’t feel adequately supported in his role as executive director of communications and brought those concerns to the attention of district leadership, including Marrero.
“I didn’t feel the district listened to me when I cried for help,” he said.
Jones declined to provide a copy of his discrimination complaint, and wouldn’t reveal what the investigation concluded — though he said the findings “didn’t sit well with me.”
He said he is now considering legal options, including potentially filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Civil Rights.
“I was not restructured out of the district because of poor performance,” Jones said in an interview. “My last work performance review, I think was pretty good.”
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