With school back in session, crucial issues like student safety and … wait, this just in … Auon’tai “Tay” Anderson is trying to bypass conflict of interest rules to get himself a paying job with Denver Public Schools.
Anderson isn’t running for reelection as a school board member, as his polling has reportedly hit rock bottom at a measly 9%.
Now the unemployed political activist and professional sh*t stirrer is trying weasel out some political patronage before his term ends.
The school board tried to sneak it through their agenda and pass it without discussion at their upcoming meeting Thursday, reports Jimmy Sengenberger in his latest Denver Gazette column.
The board has to vote to override their own conflict of interest policy to grant Anderson the conflict of interest of wielding policymaking power while bringing in a paycheck, Sengenberger writes.
It’s all just so slimy-as-usual Denver school politics with this bunch.
“Amid @dps_k12’s deepest credibility crisis in memory, certain school board members are attempting to carve out an exception to the district’s decades-long conflict-of-interest protections — solely to benefit the primary cause & poster child of their own dysfunction.” #copolitics pic.twitter.com/ZqApowewfQ
— Jimmy Sengenberger (@SengCenter) August 22, 2023
Anderson, the most toxic among the dysfunctional school board members, was investigated for “inappropriate relationships with multiple underage students via social media while serving as a board member and a candidate. The probe revealed he’d intimidated investigation witnesses and previously engaged in unwelcome sexual conduct with other members of a youth-led organization prior to running for office,” Sengenberger writes.
Despite being censured by his colleagues for his “unbecoming” behavior, Anderson still dismisses the investigation, even comparing student protests calling for his resignation to Jan. 6. His efforts to discredit the investigation through court cases were rejected, including one case “with prejudice.” Now, he seeks a role working with students again?
Good on Sengenberger for bringing this to the public’s attention before the school board does something even more idiotic than usual, and votes to ignore standards of ethics to hire someone for a job they are most likely not qualified for as an act of political patronage, or as thanks for him declining to run for reelection.