The Cherry Creek School Board today announced the termination of Brenda Smith, the district’s chief human resource officer.

She’s the wife of former Superintendent Chris Smith, who abruptly resigned in January during his annual review. Brenda Smith’s termination marks the latest upheaval for a district that has faced months of leadership turmoil and controversy.

“In conjunction with Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Perry, we the Board of Education have received the final investigative findings regarding Brenda Smith,” the board said in a statement. “Ms. Smith will not be offered a contract for the 2026-27 school year.”

“Based on the personnel investigation, significant policy violations occurred,” the district added.

Unlike her husband, Smith will not be paid any additional benefits because her termination was “for-cause,” according to district officials.

The district paid him nearly $165,000 in unused sick and vacation pay.

Because he failed to provide the Board of Education with three-month’s notice, Chris Smith must repay one month’s salary to the district. His salary was $332,601.

Perry was named interim superintendent in the wake of Chris Smith’s resignation, which came amid allegations of having created a toxic workplace with his wife.

District officials did not provide any details about the policy violations they said Brenda Smith committed. 

Brenda Smith — whose monthly pay was $21,572 — was placed on paid administrative leave in early February.

A week after Smith was placed on administrative leave, officials placed Assistant Superintendent Tony Poole on leave.

The district announced his retirement last month.

Cherry Creek School District taxpayers will pay Poole more than $190,000 to retire at the end of the school year, according to the school district’s separation agreement.

Poole, who started with the school district in 1989 as a teacher, worked his way up the ranks to assistant superintendent of special populations, a position he has held since 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The district does have a nepotism policy.

While complaints rose to the surface earlier this year, the board was warned four years ago that nepotism among senior leadership had created conflicts of interest and blurred lines of accountability.

In 2022, The Denver Gazette reported on the multiple federal civil rights investigations into allegations of discrimination, retaliation and unequal treatment. Those allegations included claims involving Poole and his wife, Rebecca López. López is the director of Neurodiverse Student Services.

The latest fallout comes as the district grapples with months of upheaval that has already claimed multiple top officials — including Board Director Terry Bates, who resigned just four months into his term amid allegations he had made “racialized remarks.”

A March email obtained under the Colorado Open Records Act from Chief Financial and Operating Officer Scott Smith to the district’s general counsel accused Bates of “intimidation, bullying, and unethical behavior” tied to an ongoing audit.

In the email, Smith said he was concerned Bates appeared to be attempting to influence the outcome of the audit and warned that the board member’s comments had placed him “at risk of being retaliated against.”

“To be clear, I absolutely welcome an independent and unbiased audit,” Scott Smith in the email. “It is highly concerning to me that any member of the Board of Education would hope for any result other than one of facts and truth.”

Before stepping down, Bates said he attempted to apologize to the board, but declined to provide the mea culpa.

“I understand that what I said was inappropriate an offensive, regardless of my intent, and I regret putting the individual involved and this board in this position,” Bates said. “I want to be clear that my comment was not intended to be harmful or discriminatory.”

To address some of these concerns, the district has implemented a number of changes officials said would strengthen oversight, including tighter procurement and spending rules, mandatory legal review of contracts, new travel guidelines and a temporary freeze on certain travel and contracts.

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