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Six Denver college board members shared their displeasure with the seventh board member, John Youngquist, Thursday night, saying his current actions have been disappointing and upsetting.
The dialogue stemmed from Youngquist’s December allegation that the board violated state open conferences regulation. Three board members — Michelle Quattlebaum, Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán, and Scott Esserman — countered in a letter to board President Carrie Olson that Youngquist acted unprofessionally towards board members and workers and mentioned his claims of open assembly violations have been unfounded.
On Thursday, Youngquist’s six board colleagues spoke in stern however measured tones concerning the affect of his actions.
“I’m deeply disenchanted within the problematic comportment that I’ve seen from you on this final 12 months,” mentioned Gaytán. “I imagine that the habits just isn’t going to alter.”
Esserman mentioned he was involved concerning the period of time the board has spent on the controversy and famous that outdoors legal professionals employed by the district confirmed the board didn’t violate open assembly regulation.
Youngquist responded briefly after the opposite six board members spoke, saying he wrote the Dec. 17 letter containing the allegations in a “second of frustration.” He additionally mentioned he appreciated listening to board members’ suggestions and dedicated to following district coverage on board member conduct.
The episode with Youngquist and the opposite board members is paying homage to a number of the infighting that dogged the board for a lot of 2022. Throughout that interval, a number of board members locked horns, with accusations of bullying and harassment.
A number of board members on Thursday drew contrasts between the present scenario and the issues two years in the past.
“I wish to guarantee you, the neighborhood, and our mates within the media, that the board is on a robust and productive path, hallmarked by accountability and transparency,” mentioned Olson.
She described Thursday’s dialogue as uncomfortable however needed.
Board member Marlene De La Rosa mentioned some folks wish to label the present board as dysfunctional, however that’s not correct.
“What we’re displaying right here right now is our collective accountability, transparency, and the power to speak with one another respectfully and professionally.”
Youngquist’s current accusation that the board violated open conferences regulation stems from a Dec. 12 government session the place board members mentioned state pension guidelines that restrict how a lot Youngquist, a former district worker, could be paid by the district for official college board duties.
Youngquist claimed within the Dec. 17 letter to Olson that the aim of the chief session was not correctly said within the public discover as required by regulation. He additionally objected to being excluded from the chief session.
A district courtroom decide discovered that the district violated open conferences regulation in 2023 after a lawsuit introduced by Chalkbeat and different media organizations.
Two days after Youngquist despatched the letter, Gaytán introduced at a college board assembly that she, Quattlebaum, and Esserman, needed to debate coverage violations by Youngquist on Jan. 9.
The board didn’t go into particulars about his alleged violations on the time, however talked about he’d accused the board of an absence of transparency and that he’d proven “habits unbecoming of a board member” towards Denver Public Faculties workers.
The Denver Put up reported Thursday that Youngquist mentioned he was conscious of two situations when he offended senior district workers members prior to now 12 months. One case occurred in February, when he was instructed he offended Deborah Staten, the district’s chief of workers. Youngquist instructed the Put up he was unclear how he had achieved so.
The opposite case occurred a month later throughout an e-mail trade between Youngquist and Aaron Thompson, the district’s normal counsel. Youngquist didn’t really feel Thompson answered his questions adequately and mentioned in an e-mail the legal professional’s response represented a manipulation. Thompson then instructed Youngquist’s pushback stemmed from racial biases, based on the emails reviewed by the Put up.
In an e-mail reply to Youngquist, Thompson wrote, “Traditionally, stereotypes of deceitfulness and manipulation have been unjustly and harmfully utilized to Black people and communities.”
Gaytán mentioned at Thursday’s assembly she wouldn’t publicly disclose specifics about Youngquist’s habits towards workers, however mentioned “I really feel that it’s unfair and unjust to the staff.”
After the half-hour dialogue of Youngquist’s conduct on Thursday, some board members appeared glad along with his response. Others discovered it missing.
Quattlebaum thanked Youngquist for expressing his settlement with board targets, however mentioned “I’m struggling to determine the accountability piece in what you simply shared.”
Esserman mentioned he hadn’t seen the extent of accountability he’d like in current information tales the place Youngquist mentioned the dispute.
“I’m feeling that that’s nonetheless lacking and hope to listen to it sooner or later,” Esserman mentioned.
Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, overlaying early childhood points and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.