Cherry Creek Schools board member Terry Bates has stepped down after multiple complaints accused him of asking immigrant community members at a district event whether they had used a "coyote" to cross the U.S. border. His resignation followed a wave of written and verbal complaints and an apology letter he sent to the board, turning up the heat on already simmering questions about district leadership and how complaints are handled.
According to documents obtained by The Denver Post, three individuals filed written complaints, which Cherry Creek Schools general counsel Sonja McKenzie received on April 20. The Post reports the exchange occurred during an April 17 district event, and district spokeswoman Abbe Smith said administrators made verbal complaints on April 20 and April 23. One complainant wrote that they were "disgusted and appalled," the documents show.
What the district and Bates said
The school board accepted Bates' resignation and stated that he had made "racialized comments that were unacceptable and inconsistent with our values," according to a district statement reported by CBS Colorado.
Bates, for his part, said he had "only recently" learned of a separate accusation from a district administrator that dates back more than five years. In a statement to The Denver Post, he said, "No complaint was ever brought to my attention at the time, no investigation occurred, and no evidence has been presented to substantiate the allegation."
Context: leadership under pressure
Bates' resignation lands in the middle of a turbulent stretch for Cherry Creek Schools. The district's superintendent resigned in January, and the board announced an external audit after investigative reporting raised concerns about the workplace culture. As reported by Denver7 Investigates, nearly a dozen complaint letters have been circulating inside the district, and trustees have cautioned that certain personnel issues require legal counsel.
What comes next
Personnel complaints in Cherry Creek Schools are funneled through the district's legal office while the board decides on next steps. The district's accountability page explains how community members can seek information or submit records requests.
District officials say they will try to balance protecting the privacy of those who filed complaints with maintaining public trust as legal counsel reviews the documents and the board weighs its response. Parents and community advocates have told reporters they want straightforward answers and structural changes to prevent similar incidents, while trustees say more information will be released as the review moves forward. For now, accepting Bates' resignation removes one player from the stage but leaves bigger questions hanging over how the district treats complaints and safeguards vulnerable community members.
