Denver School Board Faces Antisemitic Language Allegations

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero and Board President Xóchitl Gaytán allege that Vice President Monica Hunter used derogatory language about Jewish board member Amy Klein Molk. The allegations center on Hunter's purported use of the term "Zionist bitch."

Hunter firmly denied the accusations in an interview. "I absolutely don't talk like that and would never say that about her," Hunter said of Klein Molk. The documents provide first-person recollections from Gaytán and Marrero but are not part of an independent investigation.

Details of the Allegations

Board President Xóchitl Gaytán alleged that in December, upon learning she was to be seated next to Klein Molk during meetings, Hunter said something like, "I'm not sitting next to that racist Zionist bitch." Superintendent Alex Marrero, in a separate statement, alleged that Hunter referred to Klein Molk as a "Zionist b..." in a one-on-one conversation with him, also concerning seat assignments.

Klein Molk said she does not describe herself as a Zionist, a term referring to support for a Jewish state in Israel. "We can debate Zionism," she said. "It's not OK to use it as a derogatory term." Hunter denied making the comment about seating, stating she was hospitalized and ill in December when Gaytán tried to call her about the arrangements.

Timing and Calls for Investigation

The board is scheduled to discuss the allegations again on Thursday and could authorize a formal investigation, as Hunter and board member DJ Torres have requested. Other potential actions include a censure vote. Gaytán told the board she placed more than 60 supporting documents, including text and email screenshots, in a digital folder for review.

Hunter questioned the timing of the allegations, suggesting they are retaliatory. She was among members who recently pushed to discuss Marrero's employment after he expressed frustration with the board and applied for other jobs. "This is them calculating retaliation," Hunter said. Gaytán and Marrero declined to comment.

Conflicting Accounts and Past Interactions

Marrero's statement did not date when Hunter allegedly made the remark to him. Klein Molk said Marrero told her it happened in January. Hunter said she never described Klein Molk that way to Marrero and that their January meeting focused on student test scores and her frustration over academic progress for Black and Latino students.

Klein Molk wrote that Marrero did not tell her about the alleged comments until August 21, when he said Hunter had described her as a "white Zionist bitch"-a slight variation from his written statement. Klein Molk wrote she "was not surprised given my past personal experience." That experience includes a December lunch where, Klein Molk wrote, Hunter asked if she identified as a Zionist and criticized support for Israel.

Hunter recalled the lunch, stating they discussed the Israel-Palestine conflict and candidate endorsements. She said she expressed her opinion that she couldn't justify the killing of children, calling it "a private conversation about fundamental values that is now being exploited."

Impact on Board Function

Klein Molk said the experience has been damaging. "Never in a million years did I think signing up to be on the Denver school board would mean being interrogated by anyone on my political beliefs or my geopolitical beliefs," she said. A mother of two, she added, "This takes a tremendous toll not only on me, but on my children."

The allegations represent the latest interpersonal conflict to disrupt a board that has been vexed by similar disputes for years. The board's upcoming discussion will determine whether a formal probe into the serious accusations proceeds.