DENVER — Denver School Board Director Tay Anderson is denying sexual assault allegations made by an anonymous woman to Black Lives Matter 5280.
The group said the woman came forward to them in February, alleging Anderson sexually assaulted her, according to a BLM 5280 public statement released Friday.
They said the woman wants Anderson to publicly apologize for the alleged incident and seek help from a licensed professional.
“These allegations are gut-wrenching because I have not sexually assaulted anyone,” Anderson wrote in a statement Saturday. “I am not aware of any past partners who have considered anything I’ve done sexual assault.”
On Sunday, Anderson, along with his attorney Christopher Decker, held a press conference to discuss the allegations. He said he is open to an investigation.
“I stand here today with my family as a son of a single mother, who is a survivor of sexual assault, and a family that knows the struggles firsthand on what it means to be Black in America, but also, in my mother's case, be Black, and a survivor,” Anderson said Sunday. “I am not here to discredit or invalidate anyone's experience, I am simply asking for a fair process, and finding the best path to understand what actions I may have done to cause any harm.”
During Sunday’s press conference, Anderson maintained his message from Saturday’s statement that the allegations are false.
“I stand by my statement from yesterday, I have not sexually assaulted anyone. And I am not aware of a situation that can be construed as sexual assault. And I want to ensure that I and others have a fair, transparent and truly restorative process,” Anderson said.
Anderson said he is not affiliated with BLM 5280, but has worked with the group in the past. He said a rift in their relationship began to develop in January, but he is now looking to mend relations with the group.
His attorney, Decker, brought up a Denver Post report in which three former members of Never Again Colorado, a youth organization, allege they witnessed sexual misconduct on the part of Anderson.
The group’s former vice president, Madison Rose, told the paper that Anderson used his leadership position within the group to try to sleep with women.
Decker called Rose an “opportunist” who has a history of making “false allegations” against Anderson.
Decker said Rose made allegations of financial mismanagement against Anderson while working at Never Again Colorado in 2018. However, Decker said those allegations were later proven to be false.
Anderson's attorney also brought up the fact that the Denver Police has not received a report of misconduct made by any of his accusers.
The Denver Public School Board president says the board is aware of the BLM 5280 statement, but does not have enough information to weigh in at this time.
BLM 5280 is not commenting further, but told Denver7 it will talk about sexual violence at a later date. The organization says Anderson is not welcome as a part of BLM 5280 until he has "accounted for himself in these ways."
