After being placed on leave, Assistant Superintendent Anthony Poole will retire at the end of the school year — the latest leadership shakeup in the Cherry Creek School District tied to past workplace misconduct allegations and transparency concerns.

Cherry Creek School District officials confirmed Poole’s retirement Monday but the district declined to provide any information about Poole’s separation.

“Yes, I can confirm that the district has separated from Dr. Poole,” Ashley Verville, a district spokesperson, said in an email to The Denver Gazette. “You will need to send a CORA (Colorado Open Records Act) request for his separation agreement.”

Poole, who started as a teacher with the Cherry Creek School District in 1989, was placed on administrative leave in February after submitting paperwork in January for a 110-day calendar work year, often a signal for post-retirement employment. (Under Public Employees’ Retirement Association rules, retirees may work up to 110 days in a calendar year.)

He has held the position of assistant superintendent of special populations since 2019.

Four years ago, board members were warned that nepotism among senior leadership had created conflicts of interest and blurred lines of accountability within the district.

The district was already under scrutiny in 2022, when The Denver Gazette reported multiple federal civil rights investigations into allegations of discrimination, retaliation and unequal treatment — including claims involving Poole and his wife, Rebecca López.

López is the director of Neurodiverse Student Services.

Poole’s leave came a week after Chief Human Resources Officer Brenda Smith was put on leave and two weeks after Superintendent Chris Smith resigned amid allegations the couple had created a toxic workplace.

Chris Smith resigned abruptly in January during an executive session in what was supposed to have been his annual review.

The district has since implemented a number of reforms aimed at strengthening oversight, including tighter procurement and spending rules, mandatory legal review of contracts, new travel guidelines and a temporary freeze on certain travel and contracts.

According to his contract, Chris Smith must repay the district one month’s salary for failing to provide the board of education with three-month’s notice of his resignation.

The board of education has not waived the requirement, according to district officials.

Meanwhile, the district is contractually obligated to pay Chris Smith more than $160,000 in unused sick leave and vacation leave.

Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Perry has been named interim superintendent.

With nearly 52,000 students, Cherry Creek is the fourth-largest school district in Colorado and consistently ranks among the best in the state, Colorado Department of Education data shows.