Denver School Board director Tay Anderson speaks to a crowd outside the Colorado Capitol on May 30, 2020, at a protest over George Floyd's death. (Moe Clark, The Colorado Sun)

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Denver school board member Tay Anderson is returning to his school board duties before the conclusion of an investigation into anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct, he wrote in a letter posted Wednesday to social media and shared with his board colleagues.

Anderson said his return to work is “effective immediately,” though board meetings do not resume until August.

In May, Anderson said he would step back from “everyday” school board responsibilities until the outside investigation concluded. In June, Anderson voted on Denver’s new superintendent.

In the letter, Anderson said the timeline and scope of the independent investigation have been extended several times, and he could no longer wait for the results. Anderson has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual assault.

“Although I remain committed to engaging in a transparent and fair process, I can no longer wait for this process to conclude to initiate my return to serving the families of the Denver Public Schools,” Anderson wrote.

“The independent investigation has bogged down, drifted into new areas, and dragged well past the timeline that was agreed to,” Anderson continued. “No credible evidence has emerged to support any allegations of sexual misconduct by me. I have not been arrested, charged, or even contacted by any law enforcement agency regarding any of these false claims against me. And, more than anything, our DPS community has been fractured by these false allegations, and I am left compelled to try and heal the divisions which this situation has caused.”

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Erica Meltzer is Bureau Chief of Chalkbeat Colorado, where she also covers the legislature and statewide education issues. Erica was a founding editor of the local news site Denverite. Before that, she covered everything from housing and energy...