RTD director, under fire from majority of board, faces possible sanction for ‘unprofessional’ conduct
An RTD director could face disciplinary action after the chair of the 15-member board determined communication with staff members and a fellow director were “unprofessional and demeaning.R…
A Regional Transportation District director could face disciplinary action after the chair of the 15-member board that oversees the transit agency determined the elected official was “unprofessional and demeaning” to staff members and a fellow director.
“I am considering taking disciplinary action against you,” Chair Julien Bouquet wrote to JoyAnn Ruscha in a May 30 letter obtained by The Denver Post.
The advisement was sparked by a complaint letter about Ruscha that was signed by eight of the board’s members, all of whom are elected to represent districts across RTD’s sprawling metro Denver service area.
The documents underline tensions between Ruscha and several board members, but Ruscha and the director’s defenders portray the complaints as differences over style or misperceptions rooted in Ruscha’s advocacy for equity issues and front-line employees.
“My perspectives may reflect a different view from some of my colleagues, but this is not a failure to collaborate or contribute constructively,” Ruscha wrote Friday in a response to The Post. “Critiquing policy and offering an independent view is a key part of healthy governance and a democratic society.”
It’s not clear exactly when the board chair might announce a sanction against Ruscha, should he choose to do so. He’d given Ruscha, who was still preparing a formal response Friday afternoon, until the end of the day to submit it. Potential disciplinary actions set out in the board’s bylaws include removing a director from a committee chair position, reducing travel expenses or recommending expulsion to the full board.
Board member discipline has been rare in RTD’s history, and it appears that it’s been more than a quarter-century since the board considered such action against one of its own.
In his letter, Bouquet cited concerns with Ruscha’s communication with board office staff and with directors; Ruscha’s effectiveness as a chair of the Operations, Safety and Security Committee; and a lack of respect for the state’s open-meetings law.
“Your communications with board office staff have been unprofessional and demeaning and reflect a serious and concerning pattern of conduct that is inconsistent with … agency values,” he wrote.
In an interview Friday, Ruscha responded to that by saying, “I can respect the chair’s opinion or feelings, but I don’t agree with that assessment.”
Emails to director, staffBouquet highlighted a March 26 email to Director Brett Paglieri that was also sent to agency officials, including RTD general manager and CEO Debra Johnson. In it, Ruscha admonished the recently elected director for his work ethic on policy matters at the committee.
“If you do not have time to serve on the board, I strongly suggest resigning so that someone else could put in the work,” Ruscha wrote.
Ruscha, who was elected to the RTD board in 2022 to represent a northeast swath of Denver out to the airport, told Paglieri in an email obtained by The Post: “I am not here to embarass you.”
“I strongly support you growing as a director,” Ruscha wrote, “but I will no longer be covering for you because of” your age and inexperience. Paglieri is 25.
Bouquet highlighted those comments, among others, as “condescending in tone” and said they also “include personal attacks and impugn Director Paglieri’s professionalism and ethical standards.”
Bouquet listed eight emails Ruscha sent to RTD staff members in recent months that show a “lack of civility, respect and professionalism.” In one, Ruscha wrote that “perhaps staff could use some professional development.”
A RTD bus parked at City Park Esplanade on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 in Denver. The press conference marked the beginning of construction for the city of Denver’s nearly $200 million dollar East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project. (Rebecca Slezak/Special to The Denver Post)
In another, Ruscha groundlessly accused agency staff of censoring directors’ emails, he said.
Bouquet also wrote that Ruscha would speak at committee meetings longer than the rules allowed and included more than two members of the board on emails to “discuss policy” — a violation of the Colorado Open Meetings Law.
Ruscha’s response to The Post argued that the disputes, including during meetings, were “primarily rooted in policy differences — not conduct.” Ruscha, who uses they/them pronouns, also said some charges were vaguely defined; some of the concerns hadn’t been raised directly with them by other directors; and it was challenging to chair some committee meetings because of hearing difficulties.
Ruscha expressed “deep regret” over the Paglieri emails, saying that “I recognize my feedback was not constructive.”
“Kindness and fairness are at the core of my morals (and faith), and I’m always open to constructive feedback because I believe we all do our best work when we treat each other with dignity and respect,” Ruscha wrote. “I’m also not going to invalidate anyone’s feelings.”
Ruscha said punitive measures would not be appropriate, instead suggesting the board meet in “a special retreat with a skilled facilitator.”
‘Absolutely unacceptable’ behaviorThe probe into Ruscha’s conduct was spurred by a May 1 letter, signed by the eight RTD directors, asking for an investigation.
Newly elected Director Chris Nicholson of central Denver was one of the board members who signed the letter.
“I very much appreciate JoyAnn personally. But professionally, Director Ruscha’s behavior has been absolutely unacceptable,” Nicholson said. “Directors have to hold ourselves to a high standard, and the board has to hold each other to a high standard — and when we fail to do that, we let down the public that elected us.”
While Nicholson found some of Ruscha’s communication with colleagues and staff at RTD “extraordinarily dismissive and incredibly rude,” he said his colleague does “incredible work and my hope is that they will use this as an opportunity to grow.”
“And all of that can be true, while at the same time believing that JoyAnn brings a lot of good things to the table and is deeply admirable in their motivations,” he said.
The Post reached out to several other RTD directors this week. The Post also requested an interview with Johnson but was told any decisions about Ruscha “are the sole responsibility of the board’s chair to address.”
Director Michael Guzman of northwest Denver was among board members who defended Ruscha against the complaint. He said in an email that Ruscha had adeptly led their committee “through several intense and demanding meetings” and held other directors to high expectations.
“They (Director Ruscha) are highly intelligent, very curious, well studied and zealously represent District B,” Guzman wrote.
‘Unfair to single out’ RuschaIn another email to The Post, Director Ian Harwick wrote that, in his view, Ruscha possesses “an unparalleled commitment to equity and justice” and is a tireless advocate. Conflicts and communication challenges are inevitable on the part-time board, he said.
“When Director Ruscha’s intelligence, dedication, and passion for equity converge, it can sometimes be perceived as ‘harsh’ by those who disagree,” wrote Harwick, who lives in Arvada and is vice chair of Ruscha’s committee. “It’s unfair to single out an elected official for being direct or persistent, especially when these are fairly common traits found in most elected officials.”
But Paglieri, the target of the email from Ruscha, said it goes deeper than a mere difference over speaking style.
“I was disappointed and surprised by such a mean letter from someone who had been so nice to work with so far,” said Paglieri, who represents Lakewood. “It could have been an opportunity for mentorship, but it ended up being a personal attack. It shows the content and the character of the person who said it and (was) not about me.”
Paglieri said he would like Ruscha to step down as chair of the operations committee.
“Members of that committee just don’t have trust in JoyAnn’s leadership,” he said. “It’s not collaboration with JoyAnn — it’s absolutism.”
Karen Benker, who was just elected to the RTD board in November to represent Longmont but served two terms on the board back in the 1990s, said she had “mixed feelings” about Ruscha’s behavior. Benker decided not to sign the letter asking for an inquiry.
“Could things have been handled a little differently? Absolutely,” Benker said. “Was anything out of line? Not really. It could just be a matter of style.”
Compared to the tumult on the RTD board 30 years ago, today’s questions about Ruscha’s words and actions are like “night and day,” she said.
“There were personal insults, there were threats, there was name-calling,” Benker recalled of her first stint on the board. “It was continuous, it was harsh.”
In fact, Director Jack McCroskey was censured by his colleagues in 1998 for behavior that was “increasingly unruly and disruptive, causing consternation and irritation of other board members.”
“Director McCroskey’s behavior toward staff members at all levels both at board meetings as well as during the normal work day, is frequently abusive in the extreme by unwarranted, unjustified and often profane accusations of lying, dishonesty and chicanery,” the censure read.
Benker said it’s not too late for Ruscha to reverse course.
“From here on out, she needs to be more sensitive to these things,” Benker said. “I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
Public affairs editor Jon Murray contributed to this story.
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