Tay Anderson files sexual assault libel complaint

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Denver Public Schools Principal Tay Anderson on Wednesday filed a libel complaint against Black Lives Matter 5280 and activists who went public with anonymous sexual assault allegations against him.

An independent investigation requested by the school district could not corroborate the sexual assault allegations made against Anderson.

Anderson filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court. He claims that BLM 5280 and the activists “knowingly and willfully published false allegations” against Anderson.

The defendants, according to the lawsuit, accused Anderson of “working secretly in the moonlight as the most prolific serial rapist in the history of our country” in the name “of an anonymous treasure of victims of sexual assault, each opposed to appearing publicly or cooperating with the police in private “.

In a statement on Wednesday, Anderson said he lost job opportunities and saw friends and family face threats of violence following the allegations.

“I did not take this decision lightly and it pains me to draw attention to this traumatic experience again, but I am the victim of false allegations which almost cost me my life,” Anderson said. in the statement, explaining that he had struggled with suicidal thoughts amid the public allegations.

The DPS board voted to censure Anderson after his investigation revealed that he had engaged in behavior the board deemed “improper”. Hundreds of students at North High School in Denver also staged a walkout calling for Anderson’s impeachment.

Anderson’s lawsuit claims over $ 1 million in damages. The defendants include several lawyers associated with BLM 5280 – Apryl Alexander, Ari Lipscomb, Amy Brown and Michael Diaz Rivera – as well as a relative of the DPS, Mary-Katherine Brooks Fleming, and Parker organizer Jeeva Senthilnathan.

MORE: Investigators Could Not Support Sexual Assault Allegations Against Tay Anderson But Found He Flirted With Underage Student

Representatives for BLM 5280, Brooks Fleming and Senthilnathan did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday evening.

In March, Black Lives Matter 5280 posted online that the group had been approached by a woman who said Anderson sexually assaulted her. The woman’s name has not been shared.

The group later said other people had made similar claims.

Then, in May, Brooks Fleming accused an anonymous person associated with Denver Public Schools of sexually assaulting 62 students. She made the remarks during testimony before a committee of the Colorado Legislature.

“Although Fleming did not mention Anderson by name when testifying, she did so before testifying, after testifying and on several occasions she communicated who was the culprit through contextual clues and d ‘implications,’ according to Anderson’s lawsuit.

The complaint also cites a Senthilnathan Facebook post where she said Brooks Fleming’s allegations were false, but maintained that Anderson sexually assaulted “many women.”

“How dare you exploit your identity as this Auontai Anderson when you really committed the crime?” Senthilnathan wrote in a Facebook post, using Anderson’s legal name, according to the lawsuit.

A nearly six-month independent investigation commissioned by Denver Public Schools cleared Anderson of the sexual assault allegations, with investigators saying they could not find any evidence to support Brooks Fleming’s claims. The report also questioned Brooks-Fleming’s credibility, noting that she “did not provide specific or corroborating information in her statements.”

The investigation, however, revealed that Anderson engaged in a flirtatious social media contact with a 16-year-old DPS student after being elected to the board and posted threatening messages about the social networks during the investigation into the allegations of sexual assault against him.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

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