Meet Kristen Fry—a fearless parent and advocate who took a stand for her values within Denver Public Schools in Kristen Fry v. DPS. Driven by a commitment to her kids and community, Kristen spoke out on key school policies only to face unexpected pushback. But instead of backing down, she discovered a renewed strength to fight for fairness and transparency. Dive into our Q&A to learn Kristen’s inspiring story, the challenges she has overcome, and what fuels her determination to keep going.
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your family’s involvement in the Denver public school system?
A: I am a mom to a high school junior daughter, a stepmom to a high school sophomore stepdaughter, and a high school senior stepson. We have had kids in DPS since our oldest was in kindergarten.
Q: What initially motivated you to become involved in advocating for changes within the school district?
A: Although I have always been active in volunteering at our kids’ DPS schools, I had not engaged at the district level at all until 2023. I began to get involved after the 2023 East High School shootings and learning that there were students at our kids’ schools who were being searched for weapons daily. I learned about the DPS Discipline Matrix and how lax the district is about safety at schools.
Q: How did you first become aware of the issues with the DPS Board’s policies on school safety?
A: The principal of my stepdaughter’s school, McAuliffe International, shared publicly that students in DPS schools were being searched daily for weapons and some students were being allowed to go to school, even when facing very serious violent criminal charges. That woke me up to how potentially unsafe our kids are at school.
Q: How did you first get involved in this issue? Tell us about volunteering at McAuliffe Middle School.
A: In the spring of 2023, McAuliffe International Principal, Kurt Dennis, sent out an email to all parents/guardians, asking for volunteers to sit inside the front door, alongside a DPS employee, and scan the IDs of each adult entering the building. We were using the RAPTOR system, a system used at many schools in DPS. I volunteered for three shifts in late spring of 2023.On one of those shifts, Mr. Dennis asked me to walk the school perimeter with him. We donned safety vests and I recorded on a clipboard any doors that were open or unlocked (there were none – McAuliffe takes school safety very seriously). We discussed his choice to go public about the Discipline Matrix and how DPS Principals have been raising safety concerns to DPS to no avail. I told him I was worried DPS may retaliate against him and thanked him for his bravery.
Q: How did you feel when DPS announced it was going to fire the McAuliffe principal?
A: I was not surprised when DPS announced that the DPS Superintendent was recommending the termination of Mr. Dennis, as DPS is known to retaliate against whistle-blowers and staff who speak out against DPS policies. I was very sad for McAuliffe. Our kids had all finished their time at McAuliffe and we will forever be grateful that they were there when Mr. Dennis ran the school.
We chose McAuliffe principally because of his leadership style which focuses on accountability and high academic rigor along with a priority on recruitment and retention of quality teachers. DPS originally claimed that he was being fired because of a FERPA violation, claiming he had released personal information about one McAuliffe student who was being checked daily for weapons because he faced violent criminal charges. I find the claim baseless because to this day, I – and no one I know – has any idea who this child is or his race, age, grade at the time, etc. If his identity was shared in parts of the community, it wasn’t by Mr. Dennis.I feel it was just a flimsy excuse to get rid of a problem. DPS must have eventually realized it didn’t hold water.
Later that summer, the DPS Superintendent and School Board publicly accused Mr. Dennis of being a racist and employing racist policies at McAuliffe, which they claim bolstered the termination recommendation. My primary accuser, Hashim Coates, was invited by two School Board members (also named in my lawsuit) to enter McAuliffe through a back door while school was not open to students. They surveyed and photographed a room which they call a seclusion room. They claim that Mr. Dennis targeted Black children and forced them into that room by themselves to discipline them. Mr. Dennis and his staff have adamantly refuted this claim and say that the room was only used a few times over the past few years by children of several races, and in all cases it was to help calm a child down and in accordance with a plan agreed to with their parents and a therapist. A letter from one of the white children’s mothers backed this up. DPS conducted an investigation and found there was no validity that race was a factor in the use of the room.
The way Mr. Dennis was treated is a travesty, a huge loss for DPS students, and another example of poor leadership and policies from DPS. And my primary accuser was right in the middle of all of it.
Q: What was it like speaking out at school board meetings and town halls and rallying other parents to your cause?
A: Knowing how DPS retaliates against staff who speak out against them, I was initially wary about getting involved. But I thought I would be safe from such retaliation, since I didn’t work for the District. I never spoke at the Town Halls and only registered for Public Comment once. I attended all the other events to meet other parents, to listen to various viewpoints, and to educate myself on the District’s policies. I decided to speak at the one Public Comment session because teachers wanted to share their views with DPS but they were afraid to do so. So, there was a call put out for people to read their statements. I could never have imagined the nightmare I would go through and how far they would take the retaliation against me.
Q: How did the retaliation against you affect your day-to-day life and your family?
A: It was a living nightmare, and that is not an exaggeration. Being accused of a racially biased assault is so counter to any behavior I could ever even conceive of doing – it rocked me to the core. When I first watched the podcast where Mr. Coates and Ms. Shofner accused me of assault and using the racial epithet, I worried for my safety and that of my family, as a few comments suggested violence toward me. I worried my house would be vandalized. A dear Black friend heard about these horrible accusations and reached out. I was hysterical as I explained what happened and pleaded with her to not believe what she was hearing about me. Thankfully, she believed me.
Then I started to worry what my other friends and family would think. We had to tell our kids in case they heard about it from their friends. We worried they would be bullied. I felt like I had a huge sign above my head everywhere I went, saying “Racist!” I felt a compulsion to tell my BIPOC friends what happened so that they heard the truth from me first. I wondered about people in my daily life, like the grocery clerk who sees my name on a credit card, or the gentleman who checks me in at the gym…had they heard? Would they believe I could do any of these things? I carry the fear “that everyone heard the accusation and believes these lies” with me to this day. I wonder if it will ever go away.
On August 21, 2023, my world was forever changed and the course of my life forever altered. I worried I would go to jail when I was told that a warrant had been drafted for my arrest. We worried the police would arrest me in front of our children. The day I picked up the first citation, I dressed in comfortable clothes in case I wasn’t coming home. Walking into that police station was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I remember having to will my legs to propel me forward because my whole body wanted to run away and get out of the Twilight Zone. I was so relieved to be able to go home that day.
I received terrifying texts from the court system, e.g. your “arraignment” has been scheduled. My case was visible online, with my legal name as the Defendant, utterly mortifying. I had to hire a Criminal Defense Attorney, who required a large retainer, not in our monthly budget, of course. In the end, I spent several tens of thousands of dollars on my defense. I still feel guilty for bringing this financial burden on my family.
At the first court appearance, it was completely surreal. Prior to that, I only had positive experiences in that building. I had served on Jury Duty in a criminal case. My daughter’s adoption by her stepfather was held there. But here I was, walking into a courtroom as a criminal defendant. As soon as my attorney registered with the clerk, he was notified that the City Attorney had decided to pass the case to the District Attorney so that I could be charged with a more serious crime, racially motivated physical harassment. In addition, I was served with a Protection Order. I felt like I was living through a horror movie. Mr. Coates was there, talking with his Victim Advocate, and the City Attorney was talking about the seriousness of my alleged crimes. I just couldn’t believe this was happening, all because of a made-up accusation. I wanted to scream that I was the real victim.
From there, it only got worse. I was required to go to a police station to take a mugshot and give my fingerprints, which was incredibly humiliating. I was told that I could no longer volunteer for the district, since there were active criminal charges against me. That was really hard to take…not only was I embarrassed, but I was sad that I could no longer help our schools. I was frustrated that the school district refused to give me the video that I knew would prove the allegations were false. I had to face criminal charges, wait five months, and only after I paid for a subpoena did they hand over the video. Once the video showed there was no contact, the DA decided to charge me with a new charge of verbal harassment. But the crime didn’t fit what I’d been accused of, so it wasn’t a proper use of the law. Even so, I had to endure another month – through the holidays – before our final hearing when the judge dismissed the physical harassment charge and would not accept the verbal harassment. The DA asked for time to consider additional charges. Those days were very stressful, as I imagined the DA charging me with yet a fourth crime.
Several days later, we received notice that the case was dismissed, but without prejudice, meaning the DA could still find a crime to charge me with. This felt like another unwarranted attack against me and meant that for the next 13 months, I would have to live with the fear of being charged again.
Through this experience, I saw that I was just a pawn in a broader scheme to silence dissenters against the district. I have always believed in our country, in our government, thinking there were some bad apples but generally people meant well and did the right thing. Though I acknowledge that people who don’t look like me have been mistreated by our justice system for a long time, going through it firsthand I see now how easy it is to weaponize our systems. I no longer fully believe in the concept of innocent unless and until proven guilty. This experience has eroded my trust and faith in our government. My eyes are now open to the corruption.
On a very personal note, this experience greatly affected my physical and mental health. My activities were limited because of the Protection Order. I was afraid to go anywhere close to my house, including my gym and grocery store, restaurants, etc. I was afraid I would be arrested if my accuser showed up. It is hard to express the magnitude of the negative effects I endured from the lies put forth by Mr. Coates, and supported by the other defendants in my lawsuit, along with the actions taken by the people working for our legal system.
Q: Has this experience changed your willingness to be involved in public education policy and reform?
A: For many months following the case dismissal, I was afraid to go anywhere near DPS employees or events. However, months after my case was dismissed, I realized I needed to reclaim my right to be present and engage in our school district. I first went to the site of the original incident to attend a DPS teachers’ rally to support their demand for DPS to honor their compensation contract. I attended the Public Comment session without commenting or engaging with anyone.
I next went to the site of the podcast where the false accusations were first aired, where a former DPS employee was announcing his lawsuit against the district. It felt empowering to reclaim those spaces. My husband purchased a personal video recording device which I bring with me to many public spaces now. So, I am willing to still be involved with our government, but this experience has taught me how to do so in order to protect myself from false accusations.
Q: What about other parents who may feel intimidated or fearful of speaking up against powerful institutions like school boards?
A: I have recommended to others to get a personal video recording device, and to avoid being alone with anyone who cannot be trusted to fairly represent interactions. I am standing up against this political bullying and lawfare precisely to ensure that people of all backgrounds and viewpoints feel comfortable to remain engaged with our government. I will not be silenced by this experience, and I encourage others to remain engaged despite what happened to me.
Q: How has the support from Mountain States Legal Foundation impacted your fight for justice?
A: I cried when I was told that MSLF agreed to accept my case. Having already spent the equivalent of one year of our kids’ college expenses, I knew I couldn’t spend what other attorneys were asking of me to file a lawsuit. I also wanted to be sure that whoever represented me understood DPS and the political landscape in Denver and would be able to help tell my story authentically. Lastly, I wanted to be sure that my values mostly aligned with the firm representing me. I believe wholeheartedly in the Constitution and the First Amendment, and I am grateful MSLF is standing up for citizens who are under attack.
Q: What do you hope to achieve through this lawsuit, not just for yourself but for other parents and the broader community? What message do you hope the lawsuit will send to other parents and community members?
A: It was a very difficult decision to file this lawsuit. I knew it would expose me and my family to further judgment. People would question my motives. People would wonder if I used the racial epithet. I worry about my physical safety and that of my family. I worry the DA will try to find another crime to charge me with. I worry about countersuits. Despite all these worries, I am convinced that filing this lawsuit is the right thing to do, for me, for my family, and for the public good.
Political bullying, false police reports, and misuse of our legal system cannot be tolerated.
I hope to hold my accuser, his witnesses, and DPS accountable for what I went through and affect positive change to DPS’ training and policies. I know this sort of thing has happened to other people in Denver. I am standing up for the people who couldn’t or wouldn’t take on political bullies and to prevent this from happening to others in the future.
