DENVER — The head of the firm looking for Denver’s new school superintendent once resigned over an abuse scandal like those that have recently dogged Denver Public Schools.
Max McGee’s consulting company, the Illinois-based Hazard, Young, Attea, & Associates, is being paid $30,000 plus expenses to help the DPS Board of Education find a replacement for outgoing superintendent Tom Boasberg.
McGee resigned his last superintendent job, in Palo Alto, Calif. after an outside investigation found the district had mishandled claims of sexual assault. McGee went into consulting after his departure in 2016.
Similar claims about botched handling of abuse claims have bedeviled DPS recently. Several East High School leaders left the district after allegations they mishandled allegations of physical abuse by cheerleaders who were forced into painful splits.
Five East employees were indicted earlier this year for failing to report an alleged rape, as required by law.
A DPS spokesman would not directly address whether McGee’s history of similar issues was known to the district or was a source of concern.
“The DPS Board of Education thoroughly vetted each potential search firm including research on their competencies as well as any concerns that surfaced,” DPS spokeswoman Will Jones said in a written statement.
“Although HYA is assisting the Board of Education, ultimately, the board takes ownership of this very serious process and the decision, and we are holding ourselves accountable throughout,” Jones said.
Hazard, Young, Attea, & Associates said McGee was unavailable and likely would refer questions to DPS. The firm noted that McGee would not personally lead the search for Denver’s next superintendent but would oversee that team in his role as the group’s President.
