Tay Anderson: Difference between revisions

| image = Tay Anderson crop.jpg

| term_end = November 28, 2023

| birth_place = [[Kansas City, Kansas]], U.S.

'''Auon'tai M. "Tay" Anderson''' (born July 5, 1998) is an American politician and [[community organizing|community organizer]] from [[Denver, Colorado]].<ref name=kunc/> A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], he is servingserved as onea of the Directorsdirector of the [[Denver Public Schools]] Board of Education sincefrom 2019. In May 2021 he announcedto that he would step away from his duties pending results of a sexual misconduct investigation2023.<ref name=dp210531>{{cite webnews |last1last=MeltzerBrambila |first1first=EricaNicole C. |date=November 28, 2023 |title=TayAuon'tai Anderson steppingsits awaydown fromfor Denverfinal schoolinterview boardbefore dutiesstepping duringoff sexualthe misconductschool board investigation|url=https://www.denverpostcoloradopolitics.com/2021denver/05/30/tayauontai-anderson-denverfinal-interview-before-leaving-school-board/article_4a84a11b-duties13b2-sexual5a0e-misconducta7f9-investigation/1e5df5368d48.html |websiteurl-status=[[Thelive Denver|work=Colorado Post]]Politics |location= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128193752/https://www.coloradopolitics.com/denver/auontai-anderson-final-interview-before-leaving-school-board/article_4a84a11b-13b2-5a0e-a7f9-1e5df5368d48.html |archive-date=MayNovember 3028, 20212023 |accessdateaccess-date=MayNovember 3028, 20212023}}</ref> In September 2021, he was censured forby histhe actions,board whichfor prompted"behavior a walk outunbecoming of overa 1000board studentsmember" walkedfollowing outan in protestinvestigation of Andersonallegations remainingagainst on the boardhim.<ref name=dp210920>{{cite web |last1=TABACHNIK |first1=Sam|title=More than 1,000 Denver students stage walk-out to call for Tay Anderson’sAnderson's resignation|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2021/09/20/denver-school-walkout-tay-anderson-censure/|website=[[The Denver Post]] |date=September 20, 2021 |accessdate=September 20, 2021}}</ref>

Anderson was born to Mia Anderson, a [[single parent|single mother]] who was a [[teenage pregnancy in the United States|teenager when he was born]].<ref name=kunc>{{Cite web |url=https://www.kunc.org/guns-america/2019-04-17/activism-after-columbine-then-and-now |title=Activism After Columbine, Then And Now |date=April 17, 2019 |last=Paterson |first=Leigh |website=[[KUNC]] |access-date=December 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name=MoreAccessible /> He grew up in [[Kansas City, Kansas]], and moved to [[Denver]] to attend high school.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fine |first1=Gabe |title=Meet Tay Anderson, Denver's Youngest School Board Candidate |date=July 21, 2017 |url=https://www.westword.com/news/tay-anderson-is-the-youngest-candidate-for-denver-school-board-9246081 |website=[[Westword]] |accessdate=July 29, 2020 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119033244/https://www.westword.com/news/tay-anderson-is-the-youngest-candidate-for-denver-school-board-9246081 |url-status=live }}</ref> He attended two other schools before settling on [[Manual High School (Colorado)|Manual High School]], where he later became [[student body president]]. While at Manual, he decided to run to become a Directordirector of the [[Denver Public Schools]] Board of Education. At the time he was 19 years old, thus becoming the second youngest person to date to run for a Denver school board. (In 1977, Meyer Persow, ne Kadovitz, was 18 years old when he ran for the Denver School Board, finishing 11th out of 18 candidates).

Anderson was inaugurated into the Denver School Board on December 4, 2019.<ref name="MoreAccessible">{{cite web |last1=Fleming |first1=Sara |title=Newly Inaugurated Tay Anderson Wants to Make the School Board More Accessible |date=December 6, 2019 |url=https://www.westword.com/news/tay-anderson-new-school-board-members-inaugurated-11561733 |website=[[Westword]] |accessdate=July 29, 2020 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119033302/https://www.westword.com/news/tay-anderson-new-school-board-members-inaugurated-11561733 |url-status=live }}</ref> The following January, Anderson helped pass a mandate requiring all Denver Public Schools to designate a [[unisex public toilet|gender-neutral bathroom]], saying it would support the [[LGBT community]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=Meghan |title=When it comes to gender-neutral bathrooms, differing opinions prevail as DPS passes resolution |url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/360/when-it-comes-to-gender-neutral-bathrooms-differing-opinions-prevail-as-dps-passes-resolution |website=[[KMGH-TV]] |date=January 23, 2020 |accessdate=July 29, 2020 |archive-date=19 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119033245/https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/360/when-it-comes-to-gender-neutral-bathrooms-differing-opinions-prevail-as-dps-passes-resolution |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, Anderson has led an effort to remove the [[Denver Police Department]] from public schools within the city.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sachs |first1=David |title=Seizing on movement against racist policing, Denver school board members aim to get officers out of public schools |date=June 5, 2020 |url=https://denverite.com/2020/06/05/seizing-on-movement-against-racist-policing-denver-school-board-members-aim-to-get-officers-out-of-public-schools/ |website=Denverite |accessdate=July 29, 2020 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119033248/https://denverite.com/2020/06/05/seizing-on-movement-against-racist-policing-denver-school-board-members-aim-to-get-officers-out-of-public-schools/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Anderson was a ''[[de facto]]'' leader of Denver's [[George Floyd protests]].<ref name=FaceOfProtests>{{cite webnews |last1=Oldham |first1=Jennifer |title=Colorado's youngest black elected official is now the face of Denver's protests |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/colorados-youngest-black-elected-official-is-now-the-face-of-denvers-protests/2020/06/04/b6f92410-a674-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html |websitenewspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 4, 2020 |accessdate=July 29, 2020 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119033316/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/colorados-youngest-black-elected-official-is-now-the-face-of-denvers-protests/2020/06/04/b6f92410-a674-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Balingit |first1=Moriah |last2=Strauss |first2=Valerie |last3=Bellware |first3=Kim |date=June 12, 2020 |title=Fueled by protests, school districts across the country cut ties with police |language=en-US |pages=A6 |worknewspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/12/schools-police-george-floyd-protests/ |access-date=November 13, 2020 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119033317/https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/12/schools-police-george-floyd-protests/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He is a member of the [[Democratic Socialists of America]].<ref>{{Cite web|last
=Kaplan|first=Noah|date=2020-11-10|title=TheState ElectionHouse May Be Over, but Their Fight Has Just Begun|urlcandidacy=https://www.westword.com/news/denver-socialism-election-aurora-protests-arrests-elijah-mcclain-11839184|access-date=2021-02-24|website=Westword}}</ref>

After a third-party investigation was conducted, theit allegationswas werefound determinedthat toFleming be"had unsubstantiated.inconsistencies Thein originatorher ofstory, used inappropriate humor, and timed her report for Sexual Assault Awareness Month", leading the investigation to state the sexual assault allegations were unsubstantiated and "objectively implausible." Fleming refused to corporatetalk with the investigationinvestigators, and hernobody spokesperson,came Brooks Flemings, was deemedforward to becorroborate nother a credible witnessallegations. The investigation determinedalso thatfound Flemings"behavior hadunbecoming “inconsistenciesof ina herboard story,member" usedwhich inappropriateincluded humor"online andflirtations timedwith hera report16-year-old forstudent Sexualand Assaultcoercive Awarenesssocial media Monthposts.”" Ultimately,Over no1000 victimsstudents camewalked forward,out andof noclassrooms onein wasprotest foundof toAnderson corroborateremaining Fleming’son testimonythe board. <ref name=dp210915>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-15|title=Tay Anderson investigation finds sexual assault claims unsubstantiated, but details “behavior"behavior unbecoming of a board member”member" |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2021/09/15/tay-anderson-sexual-assault-investigation-report/|access-date=2022-05-29|website=The Denver Post|language=en-US}}</ref> The Denver school board voted 6-1 to censure Anderson for his behavior. Anderson was the sole vote in opposition to the measure, which was the first time the board had censured one of its own members. <ref name=chalkbeat>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-17|title=Denver school board votes to censure Tay Anderson |url=https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/17/22679743/tay-anderson-colorado-censure-vote-results-denver-school-board|website=Chalkbeat|language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Category:21st-century AmericanColorado politicians]]

[[Category:Members of the Democratic Socialists of America from Colorado]]