DENVER (KDVR) — Denver School Board At-Large Director Tay Anderson says the DPS Department of Safety provided security for him following threats he received this summer.
Anderson is one of the youngest elected officials in Colorado history and is known for his activism in the community. He says he’s received at least five threatening messages in recent months.
“People have been sending me some very hateful messages and I’m over it,” said Anderson.
Anderson says he has been in constant communication with the DPS Department of Safety in regard to the threats and as a result, was provided security on at least two separate occasions.
He says one of instances was a graduation event earlier this summer.
“The individual met me at the event, stood a couple feet away from me and School Board President Carrie Olson was there. We just did our jobs and afterward let them know I was going back to my car, walked me back to my car and went on about my day,” said Anderson.
A recent tweet from Anderson thanking the DPS Department of Safety for providing a security detail sparked some questions.
DPS says it does not have an ongoing agreement to provide Anderson with security but will provide the service when there is an active threat, as it would for any board member or employee.
“No school board member should have to go through this. I’m hoping these messages will stop, I’m hoping these emails will stop but it also comes with the weight of being a public figure that is very outspoken,” said Anderson.
According to the district, providing security for Anderson did not take away any funding or resources from education purposes.
Anderson released an updated statement late Thursday, saying, “I am grateful that Denver Public Schools values the safety of each of the team members on DPS. Over the summer I have been the subject to hateful emails and death threats in which Denver Public Schools has assigned me with someone to monitor my safety along with the safety of others. I am at ease knowing that if these threats continue DPS Department of Safety will monitor these and will assign someone to my safety accordingly.”