Denver school board member Tay Anderson has denied an accusation leveled by the activist organization Black Lives Matter 5280 that he sexually assaulted a woman.
In a statement issued Saturday morning, Anderson also asked for more information about the accusations and expressed a desire to be “accountable to the community I serve.”
On Friday, Black Lives Matter 5280 issued a statement saying a woman approached the group in February to say Anderson had sexually assaulted her. The statement said Anderson is not welcome at the group’s meetings or events until he takes certain steps to be accountable.
“At the request of the alleged survivor, we are publicly sharing this information in hopes of ensuring her and all of our safety and well-being,” the statement said. The organization said the accusations have not gone through a “formal legal process,” but the group is committed to “protecting, uplifting, and believing Black women, decidedly as it relates to sexual violence.”
The statement said the accuser wants to remain anonymous and asked that people respect her boundaries. The organization — the Denver chapter of a decentralized national movement to address racism and anti-Black violence — said the accuser wants Anderson to make a public apology and seek assistance from a licensed professional with relevant expertise.
Until Anderson takes those steps, “he will not be welcome to share space with BLM5280 physically or on any of our platforms,” the statement says.
After initially declining to comment Friday, Anderson issued a statement Saturday morning that denied the accusations and expressed hurt that he had not been approached privately about them.
“These allegations are gut-wrenching because I have not sexually assaulted anyone,” he said. “I am not aware of any actions of mine that could be considered or construed as sexual assault. I am not aware of any past partners who have considered anything I have done as sexual assault.”