Across the state, we’re seeing a wholesale rejection of transparency and accountability by community and political leaders attempting to misuse the system for their own gain. Look no further than Colorado’s school districts, where legal and political games rule the day.

Let’s start with Denver Public Schools, where the board’s vice president, Tay Anderson, tried and failed to muzzle a critic with a permanent restraining order. On Feb. 21, a judge lifted Anderson’s temporary restraining order against Brandon Pryor, a DPS father, community activist and noted district critic. Pryor is founder of Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy, a public STEM innovation school modeled off historically Black colleges and universities.

Much to Pryor’s frustration, the school board voted to move STEAM Academy far from where its predominantly minority student body resides. Last month, Pryor and Anderson got into a heated argument inside the building where they both work. It reportedly had to do with school board inaction regarding STEAM Academy and happened weeks after DPS lost a lawsuit against Pryor for banning him from school board meetings and other school functions.

Anderson’s original temporary restraining order was requested following the argument. Pryor reportedly concedes he raised his voice but insists he never threatened Anderson; Anderson claims otherwise.

According to Chalkbeat, after Anderson’s attorney finished their case, Denver County Court Judge Kerri Lombardi stopped the proceedings to dismiss the protection order — before Pryor even made his case or called his witnesses. Lombardi ruled Anderson clearly hadn’t met the burden of proof required for a permanent restraining order.

Anderson (who also goes by Auon’tai Anderson) has previously tried to use the court system to silence criticism. He went to court with a defamation lawsuit in November 2021; most of the claims Anderson brought were dismissed “with prejudice” by the court last April.

Last year, he tried using the courts to discredit the report on a 2021 investigation that found conduct by Anderson with students and investigation witnesses was egregious enough for his board colleagues to censure him. The judge flatly “reject(ed) Mr. Anderson’s arguments.”

The decision to obtain a restraining order — something only enforceable through law enforcement — is striking for Anderson, given his reputation for bashing police. He emphatically opposes restoring school resource officers to DPS campuses — a position he’s doubled down on even as it contributes to a surge in crime and violence among students (which I explored in yesterday’s Denver Gazette).

Let’s be real: Anderson always seems to believe it’s better to silence critics, including parents like Pryor, than to deal with the real issues — such as plummeting student achievement, deteriorating campus safety, declining enrollment, quitting teachers and policies impacting schools like STEAM Academy. When Pryor spoke in public comment at last week’s board meeting, Anderson rose and left the room — visually exemplifying his unwillingness to productively engage with critics.

Woodland Park, a community of some 8,000 residents on Pikes Peak’s north slope, offers another example of this phenomenon. There, teachers union leaders are plotting behind closed doors and using limits on open records to conceal their organizing.

In the Feb. 19 Denver Gazette (“Unions ignore the real crisis in our schools”), I detailed a secret Jan. 30 staff meeting organized by the Woodland Park Education Association.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker and columnist for the Denver Gazette. He hosts “The Jimmy Sengenberger Show” on News/Talk 710 KNUS on Saturdays.

Jimmy Sengenberger