by Debra Heine
A Democrat Denver School Board director and Black Lives Matter organizer has been accused of sexually assaulting over 60 undocumented students—some as young as 14-years-old.
The alleged predator, Tay Anderson, denied the accusations over the weekend, while announcing that he will step back from everyday board duties during the investigation.
Statement from Director Anderson: pic.twitter.com/8jW598INWu
— Auon’tai M. Anderson (@AuontaiAnderson) May 31, 2021
The allegations came out during legislative testimony last week, when a parent claimed that a person employed by the district was sexually assaulting and targeting undocumented teens, CBSDenver reported.
Mary Brooks Fleming, a mother of three students within the Denver Public School district, testified before the state House Judiciary Committee that some of the children were “violently raped” by the employee and, in some case, forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Brooks Fleming appeared before the committee to testify in support of legislation that would make it easier for victims to sue institutions who employ child sexual abusers. The mother is a volunteer at a local nonprofit organization that aids sexual assault victims.
“Individuals were coming to my home asking for medical attention. One was as young as 14 and needed stitches. All in all, 61 high school students and one recent graduates would turn to me for help,” Fleming said, shaking and holding back tears. “Sixty-two victims as young as 14! Sixty-one were undocumented or dreamers. All were so afraid of this one man!” she added.
The DPS school board confirmed in a statement Friday night that the accusations were against Anderson, and that Denver police was also aware of the allegations.
“Those who came to my home didn’t have health insurance, couldn’t afford emergency rooms, and even if they could, they wanted to avoid mandatory reporters for fear that such an interaction could jeopardize their family,” Brooks Fleming said in the legislative testimony. “It is horrifying to realize that someone had preyed on these children, knowing their silence was guaranteed.”
The Denver Public Schools board in April hired a law firm and launched an investigation into previous sexual assault allegations against Anderson.
The district reportedly took the actions in March after a Denver Black Lives Matter chapter alleged “that a woman came to them to report that Anderson had sexually assaulted her.”
Additionally, former members of the anti-gun violence group “Never Again Colorado” alleged that Anderson had engaged in inappropriate behavior when he was the group’s president in 2018.
Anderson on April 6 released a statement on his Twitter account reading in part, “I have done nothing which would substantiate claims of sexual assault or unlawful behaviors.”
He added: “I am grateful for the Denver Public Schools for launching an independent, third party investigation and look forward to a transparent process.”
https://twitter.com/DirectorTay/status/1379580202729172994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1379580202729172994%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Famgreatness.com%2F2021%2F06%2F01%2Fdenver-school-board-director-and-black-lives-matter-activist-accused-of-molesting-over-60-undocumented-teens%2F
In an email statement sent to the Denver Post on Friday night, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education wrote: “The Board was made aware of testimony at the Colorado Capitol this week and was later informed that the accusations were against Director Tay Anderson.”
On Sunday, the Colorado High School Democrats, a group that Anderson once chaired, called for him to resign.
“Director Anderson has lost the confidence of the students and families of his school district,” current High School Democrats Chair Spencer Wilcox said in a statement. “Students, including our many members in DPS, should not have to be afraid of one of their school board members. He must resign.”
Anderson has been described in the Washington Post as “the face of Denver’s protests.”
“At 21, the Denver school board member is the youngest African American ever elected to public office in Colorado,” the Post said in a profile of the BLM agitator last June.
During a Black Lives Matter march in Denver, last May, Anderson led the crowd in an 8 minute and 46 second moment of silence.
Last July, he was injured while scuffling with police while they were trying to clear out a homeless camp.
.@TayAndersonCO will be ok, but make no mistake, it was @DenverPolice that pushed him to the ground. It was not “lost footing”.
Also, he was there because of the sweeps that were taking place near the Capitol. He asks that we focus on that issue. It’s time for solutions, Denver https://t.co/3UCILP3JOl
— Leslie Herod (@leslieherod) July 29, 2020
Anderson cried on camera as he held an ice pack to his head before checking himself into a hospital emergency room.
Tay Anderson tells me he was hit by police. @CBSDenver pic.twitter.com/D1JBWczjEz
— Jacqueline Quynh (@jquynhreports) July 29, 2020
According to the Post Millennial, Anderson labeled white opposition to to BLM as “bigotry during a school board meeting in March. “Denver Public Schools believes Black Lives Matter!” he said.
A teacher at Bennett Ranch Elementary in Peyton was disciplined for teaching Black Lives Matter propaganda to students in the Art Explore class without following district policy of notifying parents about potential controversial topics.
“WHAT?” Anderson tweeted in February. “I’m so grateful that Denver Public Schools gives our teachers autonomy to teach these important things.”
WHAT?
A teacher was disciplined for teaching Black Lives Matter and it was deemed a controversial topic?
I’m so grateful that Denver Public Schools gives our teachers autonomy to teach these important things. https://t.co/kZpU7DPyHK
— Auon’tai M. Anderson (@AuontaiAnderson) February 3, 2021
In a tweet in January, Anderson disputed that Black Lives Matter and antifa agitators were responsible for any of the violence, looting and property destruction seen nationwide in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death last May.
“I’d love to see where Black Lives Matter as an organization called on folks to riot and burn down cities,” Anderson tweeted Jan. 13 of this year. “I’d also love to know about the mythical organization of “ANTIFA.” He stated that “last time I checked that organization doesn’t exist.”
https://twitter.com/TayAndersonCO/status/1349443870543601664?s=20
Anderson’s attorney, Christopher Decker, provided the following statement to CBS4 on Monday:
“Director Anderson categorically denies the most recent allegations which have been made against him. He looks forward to defending himself from these false claims just as soon as they emerge from anonymity into the light of fair investigation. To date, not a single allegation against Director Anderson has provided any time, place, individual, or details to which he can even respond. When and if this occurs, he will respond with specifics and corroborating evidence.
“To date, no law enforcement agency or government agency has reached out to Director Anderson with any specifics of any of these claims. To the extent that Ms. Mary-Katherine Brooks Fleming has publicly stated that 62 victims have come to her claiming abuse ranging from unwanted touching to violent rapes, Director Anderson specifically denies any unlawful touching or assaults during his brief time as a teacher and since his election to the DPS Board. These acts never happened. Not a single child, parent, therapist, teacher, police officer, doctor, or individual has come forth to substantiated these incredible assertions.
“Director Anderson implores DPS counsel to respond immediately to Ms. Brooks Flemings allegations that DPS staff and legal counsel herself engaged in a criminal coverup to include the use of nondisclosure agreements to silence dozens of victims who are current DPS students. Director Anderson has no knowledge of, or participation in, such a vile claim of silencing child sexual assault victims.
“Finally, Director Anderson is saddened that so many have rushed to judgments about these inflammatory accusations. All he asks for is a fair, responsible, and thorough investigation. He knows this will exonerate him. He continues to cooperate with the private investigation initiated by DPS and will cooperate with any criminal investigation which may be underway.
“As his attorney, I am particularly concerned that while absolutely no details or facts have been released regarding any of these claims, it appears that many have already presumed his guilt, vilified him, and ignored his significant contributions to the DPS community. All this before any specifics, details, charges or findings. I ask you to remember that we are a nation of laws and principles. These must not be eclipsed by unproved and anonymous allegations regardless of their number or nature.“The truth will be revealed and Director Anderson will be cleared of these poisonous and false claims.”
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Debra Heine reports for American Greatness.
Photo “Tay Anderson” by TayAndersonCO. CC BY-SA 4.0.
