Allegations that two Douglas County School Board directors committed perjury have been referred for investigation to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

A statement from District Attorney John Kellner confirms that law enforcement is looking into the alleged perjury by school board directors Mike Peterson and Christy Williams.

“The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has received multiple inquiries from citizens regarding allegations of perjury by members of the Douglas County Board of Education,” Kellner said. “The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the allegations and currently has an open investigation. That agency will review the matter and if appropriate, will forward the case to our office for further review.”

Cocha Heyden, a spokesperson for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said they “have received information about the situation.”

One of the people making the allegations is Highlands Ranch resident and Colorado House District 43 candidate Bob Marshall. He claims that directors Mike Peterson and Christy Williams lied under oath when they testified about their decision to fire former superintendent Corey Wise.

In February, Marshall sued the Douglas County School Board for allegedly violating the Colorado Open Meetings Law in making the decision to fire Wise, arguing board directors Peterson, Williams, Becky Myers and Kaylee Winegar used serial meetings to avoid public discussion.

Marshall is now alleging that a recording of a Jan. 28 conversation between Wise, Williams and Peterson shows that Williams and Peterson lied in their court testimonies about not having made a decision to fire Wise until a Feb. 4 public meeting and about not having asked Wise to resign.

A statement from Williams’ and Peterson’s attorney, Scott Gessler, denies the perjury allegations. 

“These are baseless accusations and part of a string of baseless lawsuits,” attorney Geoff Blue, who represents both the school board and individual directors in the open meetings lawsuit brought by Marshall, said in a statement. “The board members were forthright and truthful about their work to replace the former school superintendent, both in court and in private conversations. Marshall used a secret tape recording to make wild claims of perjury. Our legal team reviewed the materials and found no wrongdoing.”

Williams and Peterson also gave statements saying the accusations would not affect their work on the board.

“Unfortunately, it seems Mr. Marshall is more interested in derailing our efforts to improve education in Douglas County,” Peterson said. “I’m staying focused on academic excellence, increasing teacher pay, and ensuring we meet our mission and vision through common sense initiatives.”

“These latest accusations are yet another attempt to redirect attention away from the positive direction that has been established by this board,” Williams said. “I will not be distracted by his self-serving lawsuits, but I will continue to make student-centered decisions a priority in support of our outstanding students, parents, and staff.”