Over 100 protest outside D11 board meeting; call for transparency, accountability after lawsuit against superintendent

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The District 11 Education and Community Help Organization (ECHO), an advocacy group, gathered a crowd of over 100 community members for "a rally for transparency and accountability" ahead of a District 11 special board meeting Wednesday, September 23.

This comes after a Colorado Springs School District 11 employee filed a civil complaint on September 8 against the district's superintendent and deputy superintendent, alleging the theft of confidential files about the superintendent.

RELATED COVERAGE: KRDO13 Investigates -- District 11 employee initiates lawsuit against top officials, alleges stealing of confidential files

Natasha Bullard Ka’onohi, the district ombudsman, filed this complaint. She told KRDO13 she did not want to comment beyond what was said in the legal filings.

In court documents obtained by KRDO13, the complaint accuses Deputy Superintendent Brandan Comfort of entering Ka’onohi's office and taking several confidential files, including one labelled "Superintendent."

Superintendent Michael Gaal is also listed as a defendant in the complaint, which states that Comfort acts at his direction.

On February 9, 2026, the complaint alleges a staff member told Ka’onohi that they witnessed Comfort use a key to unlock the door to the office three times, leaving the office with file folders in his hand at least once from February 2 to February 6.

On February 10, the lawsuit states that the "Superintendent" file had been returned to the wrong cabinet.

The claims made in the lawsuit are allegations that have not yet been evaluated in court.

A district spokesperson told KRDO13 that the district conducted an independent, third-party investigation that did not find wrongdoing by Superintendent Michael Gaal or Deputy Superintendent Brandan Comfort.

Community members at the rally say they are still left with questions for the board.

“How did the investigation take place? Who was interviewed? What did they look at?… Let's face the simple fact. Their job is to make sure School District 11 looks the best that it can when it comes to any legal matters,” said Joseph Shelton, a community activist who previously ran for the D11 Board of Education.

Shelton also started a petition calling to place the superintendent on administrative leave.

Board Directors LeAnn Baca Bartlett and Charles Johnson released a statement that claimed they were not in the loop regarding these allegations until recently, saying in part, “any district employee would have been immediately placed on administrative leave for similar allegations.”

Board President Thomas Carey responded to this, clarifying that administrative leave is discretionary, not an automatic consequence of an allegation or civil complaint.

KRDO13 spoke with Baca Bartlett and Johnson about their statement and Carey's ask for correction of what he called a "factual error." They told KRDO13 they stand by their original statement.

During the executive session of the special board meeting, Board President Thomas Carey said he proposed amending the agenda for the board to receive legal advice from district counsel regarding the pending lawsuit and to ask questions.

Carey said Baca Bartlett and Johnson voted against the proposed amendment, and it did not pass.

Their full statements can be found below.

Statement from School Board Directors LeAnn Baca Bartlett and Director Charles Johnson regarding recent legal filings and School Board District 11 statements:

"Allegations in the recent court filing by the Colorado Springs School District 11 ombudsperson are alarming. The District 11 community deserves meaningful transparency and accountability. Instead of leading the District as positive role models, our superintendent and deputy superintendent stand accused of unethical and bullying behavior. Any District employee would have been immediately placed on administrative leave for similar allegations.

As school board members, we were not aware of these serious allegations prior to last week, nor were we informed that any investigation was underway, or that a finding had been made. Even more concerning, it appears that this hidden investigation was unfolding during the superintendent’s performance evaluation process from May 26 – June 3, 2026.

We, as duly elected officials, deserve to know the process for investigation, who selected the third-party investigator, who evaluated conflicts of interest, as well as expenditures. The entire board needs to evaluate the quality and independence of the investigation. We are not speaking for the District nor for our fellow board members. We urge our fellow board members to join us in our commitment to transparency and accountability while actively listening to our students and their parents, as well as our educators, staff, and greater community."

Statement from Board President Thomas Carey Regarding His Actions and Decisions:

This statement reflects President Carey’s own account and views regarding his actions as
Board President. It is not a statement of the District 11 Board of Education.

"I want to clarify several facts about how the District responded to allegations that are now the
subject of pending civil litigation.

On May 27, District legal counsel advised Board leadership of a proposed civil complaint involving Superintendent Michael Gaal and Deputy Superintendent Brandan Comfort. Because the allegations involved both administrators, counsel recommended that I authorize an independent investigation in my capacity as Board President. I agreed to counsel's recommendation. My role was limited: I did not select the investigator, conduct the investigation, direct the investigator, determine the findings, impose discipline, or determine whether the allegations were true. At that stage, no action by the full Board was required, and after consulting legal counsel, I allowed the independent fact-finding process to proceed before notifying the full Board.

There are several points in the recent public discussion that require correction.

First, the investigative fact-finding did not begin until June 5, after the Superintendent’s evaluation concluded on June 3. The evaluation and investigation were entirely separate processes.

Second, the public statement that any District employee facing similar allegations would have been immediately placed on administrative leave is inaccurate. As confirmed by the District’s Talent Management office and administration, administrative leave is a discretionary personnel-management tool, not an automatic consequence of an allegation or civil complaint. I have called that factual error to the attention of the Directors who made the statement and asked that it be corrected.

Third, Board Directors are entitled to ask questions about the selection, independence, cost, and conduct of the investigation. The Board has access to District legal counsel and received an opportunity to obtain legal advice regarding the investigation in executive session. I will not disclose what individual Directors did or did not ask in that confidential setting. It is strictly false, however, for Board Directors to imply or state that they lacked a means to obtain answers to questions concerning the investigation.

To restate key facts from the public record: District legal counsel recommended an independent investigation; Board leadership authorized that process; and Employers Council was retained to conduct it. The investigation concluded at the end of August, and its findings did not substantiate allegations of wrongdoing by Superintendent Gaal or Deputy Superintendent Comfort.

I recognize that some Directors believe the full Board should have been notified earlier. I have heard that concern, and going forward I intend to err on the side of earlier notice when a legal matter can reasonably be expected to require future Board involvement.

Board members are free to disagree with my decisions, District administration, or one another. That is part of public governance. But all of us also have a responsibility to distinguish disagreement from factual assertion and to correct factual inaccuracies when they occur.

The underlying allegations will now proceed through the legal process. The Board will evaluate any new information as it becomes available."

Additional Statement from Board President Thomas Carey:

President Carey is speaking for himself as Board President. This is not a statement on behalf of the full Board of Education.

"During tonight’s meeting, I proposed amending the agenda to provide the full Board another opportunity to receive legal advice from District counsel regarding the pending civil litigation and to ask additional questions.

Because the matter involves pending litigation and privileged legal advice, an executive session is the appropriate setting for the Board to have that discussion collectively with counsel.

Directors LeAnn Baca Bartlett and Charles Johnson voted against the proposed amendment. The amendment did not pass, and the Board therefore did not have that additional opportunity tonight to meet collectively with counsel, receive legal advice, and ask further questions regarding this matter.

I am providing this clarification because concerns have continued to be expressed publicly about Board members’ access to information and opportunities to obtain answers regarding the investigation and litigation.

I will continue to support appropriate opportunities for every Board member to obtain the information and legal advice necessary to carry out their responsibilities."

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