Denver school board members call for independent investigation into allegations of antisemitism, failure to fulfill duties

Jessica Seaman, The Denver Post on Sep 11, 2026

Published in News & Features

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DENVER — Denver school board members Monica Hunter and Donald “D.J.” Torres on Friday requested an independent investigation into allegations levied against them by the board’s president — including the accusation that Hunter made an antisemitic comment about a colleague, according to an email obtained by The Denver Post.

The request by Hunter, the board’s vice president, and Torres, the board’s treasurer, comes after the Denver Public Schools Board of Education met earlier this week to discuss the allegations made by board President Xóchitl Gaytán, which included the charge that neither is fulfilling their duties as directors.

In their email, the pair asked their colleagues on the board to halt any action they plan to take in response to the accusations — including marking public comments or taking a potential censure vote — until a third-party investigation is complete.

“The board cannot credibly investigate whether disputed allegations are true while simultaneously taking action that assumes they are true,” Hunter and Torres wrote in Friday’s email. “Nor can questions about the process be credibly resolved solely by individuals whose conduct or participation may themselves be relevant to those questions.”

Gaytán could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

The two DPS directors made several other demands in their email, including:

—That any outside investigation look at the allegations made by Gaytán and whether she followed proper procedures in raising the accusations to Hunter and Torres individually and the entire board collectively

—That the investigation look into whether Gaytán had majority support to present her allegations to the board earlier this week and how that majority was formed

—That the investigation examine the role of DPS staffers in “gathering, developing, substantiating or communicating the allegations and determine whether staff were asked, directed, encouraged or otherwise used by individual board members to develop them…”

Gaytán sent emails to Torres and Hunter last week detailing numerous policy violations, including that Torres has missed several recent meetings. She also accused Hunter of contacting DPS staff on enrollment matters on behalf of a parent and regarding the potential transfer of her own son to a different school.

Gaytán has not detailed the allegation that Hunter made an antisemitic comment, nor has she said who the remark was directed toward.

The board president did say in her email to Hunter last week that the language was used “in connection with (Hunter’s) stated opposition to supporting the board colleague for an officer position and your stated refusal to sit next to that colleague on the board dais.”

Amy Klein Molk, who is Jewish, is the only new member of the board who did not receive an officer title after being elected last year. Molk has not publicly addressed the allegation.

The accusations are the latest dispute between DPS school board members who are struggling to work together because of differing views on how to operate under the board’s governance model. Hunter and Torres have also been at odds with Superintendent Alex Marrero, who has accused school board members of involving themselves in the day-to-day operations of the district.

In their email, Torres and Hunter echoed an argument they made earlier this week: They said Gaytán did not follow proper procedure by addressing the alleged policy violations privately with them before taking them to the full board. Gaytán previously said she tried to talk with the pair about the accusations, but they rebuffed her.

Hunter and Torres questioned whether Gaytán, in her role as board president, has the authority to “collect and weigh evidence against colleagues, determine disputed facts or establish that another independently elected director violated board policy,” according to the email.

“We believe the process used to develop, characterize and advance these allegations raises serious questions under board policy. Those questions should themselves be part of the independent investigation,” Torres and Hunter wrote. “…President Gaytán, you are the president of the board. You are not the board’s investigator.”

At least two other board members — John Youngquist and Kimberlee Sia — have expressed interest in an investigation into the allegation that Hunter made an antisemitic comment.

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