DENVER — Denver Public Schools (DPS) notified parents via email that the principal of Hallett Academy would not be returning, leaving parents, teachers, and students perplexed by the lack of explanation. Documents obtained by 9NEWS revealed that the principal had accused the district of discrimination, providing insight into the events preceding her departure.
Dominique Jefferson served as principal of Hallett Academy for seven years. Shortly before her abrupt departure at the start of the school year, Jefferson proudly announced that Hallett Academy had achieved the state's highest school rating for the first time in nearly a decade, according to the Colorado Department of Education's annual performance ratings.
“Out of nowhere. We got an email saying that our principal was on leave. They wouldn't say why, they wouldn't say if it was medical, they wouldn't say if it was a personnel issue, but just that she was going to be gone,” said Jessica Lawson, a Hallett Academy parent.
9NEWS attempted to investigate the situation by requesting public records from DPS and other agencies, but those requests were denied. However, 9NEWS did obtain records, including emails and formal discrimination complaints, from other sources.
On September 18th, 2023, DPS sent out the first of two emails regarding Jefferson's status, announcing, "Hallett Principal Dominique Jefferson is currently on leave. Please know that, out of respect for Ms. Jefferson’s privacy, we cannot provide additional details as to circumstances surrounding her leave from your school.”
Jefferson has been absent from school ever since.
In a formal discrimination complaint filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Jefferson alleged that she "was suspended...in retaliation" on Sept 18.
The complaint also says Jefferson faced discrimination and harassment from DPS staff starting with an incident on Feb. 6, 2023, although the documents received by 9NEWS do not specify the nature of this incident or any others.
DPS emails reveal that she filed at least seven formal discrimination complaints last year. These complaints involved multiple entities, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Education.
According to emails, Jefferson initiated the first discrimination complaint through DPS's Discrimination Prevention & Response (DPR) reporting process in April. Subsequent emails exchanged with a DPS employee relations manager show Jefferson asking for information regarding her investigation on numerous occasions.
“Please--someone respond. Why am I met with silence…” Jefferson said in one email.
The emails got increasingly frustrated as her questions went unanswered for months.
“I don't deserve to be treated this way,” she said in another.
In one email, Jefferson expressed the emotional toll of the situation, citing the onset of anxiety and depression stemming from the unresolved issues.
“What I've elevated to you as perpetual concerns are apparently beyond the scope of the DPR process, as the discrimination I'm experiencing and continue to communicate to you has not ceased,” Jefferson said in an email dated September 5, 2023.
Those emails show that the investigation into Jefferson's allegations lasted 12 weeks, exceeding the 28-day deadline outlined in their policy.
In the months Jefferson was said to be on leave, the Hallett Academy community remained in a state of uncertainty.
“It was just waiting and waiting and rumors and no answers and waiting. And then six months later, out of the blue again right before spring break,” said Lawson.
During the school board's meeting on March 7, Jefferson's name appeared on the agenda for discussions regarding personnel matters. These discussions were held in executive session, away from public view. At the subsequent meeting on March 21, Superintendent Alex Marrero presented a confidential "Teacher Dismissal Recommendation," which was also discussed in executive session.
The following day, March 22, parents received the only other email from DPS, informing them that Principal Dominique Jefferson would not be returning to Hallett Academy.
On April 2, DPS posted Jefferson’s job, looking for a new principal to hire.
“Even if they were to place a new principal here, they'd be doing so without the support of the community and without giving us the answers that I think we deserve,” said Lawson.
At Hallett Academy, where 71% of students are Black, a significant contrast to the district-wide figure of 14%, some parents expressed that they chose the school specifically because of Principal Jefferson's leadership.
"The reason I brought my students to Hallett is because of Miss Jefferson, and because they have teachers, our principal, and other students that look like them," said Wedgeworth. "My kids ask all the time, they'll come home after hard days and say, I wish Miss Jefferson was there."
RELATED: Principal won't return to Black Forest Hills Elementary after attempted kidnapping on school grounds
DPS declined to discuss Jefferson's situation, in a statement they told 9NEWS, "Because of employee privacy laws, the district is unable to discuss or share any details regarding personnel matters."
This silence has prompted parents and teachers to voice their concerns at recent school board meetings, advocating for Jefferson and demanding answers. A petition titled "Stop the Search" initiated to halt the replacement of Jefferson has hundreds of signatures.
"We did not get an opportunity to speak to you before the decision was made recently to remove her permanently from our school... She's the reason we have such strong teachers in every grade. One-third of my grade level is reading and doing math above level. That is because of Dominique Jefferson," Julie Adams-Blow, a 3rd-grade teacher at Hallett Academy said to the school board on April 15.
9NEWS also reached out to Jefferson who declined to speak with us.
With the deadline for naming Jefferson's replacement looming on May 27, and the end of the school year nearing, the Hallett Academy community remains resolute in their demand for transparency. Parents say they will be showing up to the upcoming school board meeting on May 13, vowing to make every effort to advocate for their principal.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS