The University of Colorado Board of Regents convened in a special online meeting on Friday morning, during which they voted six-to-one to advance the censure process for Regent Wanda James while simultaneously clearing Regent Chair Callie Rennison of allegations of fiscal misconduct.
The decision to proceed with censure comes as a result of allegations that James attempted to influence Governor Jared Polis to defund an anti-marijuana campaign at CU Anschutz, which she claimed depicted Black and dark-skinned individuals in a negative and stereotypical manner.
In a resolution made public on Friday, the board emphasized their authority as a self-governing body to censure a regent for breaches of duty under their policies.
It stated, “The Board of Regents has received credible information that Regent James may have breached such a duty… The Board of Regents designates outside independent legal counsel to investigate this matter in accordance with the procedures outlined in Regent Policy 2.M, including notice and an opportunity to review the evidence and respond in writing.”
The controversy ignited when James objected to certain illustrations used in the campaign, which she argued exploited harmful stereotypes.
She expressed her concerns to Governor Polis regarding the campaign’s funding. Although the illustrations were subsequently removed, the funding for the campaign remained intact.
The regents expressed concerns about a potential conflict of interest arising from James’s dual role as a regent and owner of a marijuana dispensary, Simply Pure, suggesting that her attempts to redirect taxpayer funds might be self-serving.
James has consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing, maintaining that her actions were aimed at addressing racist portrayals.
During the meeting, James presented her case but chose not to vote, while another regent abstained from voting and one was absent.
Regent Nolbert Chavez registered the lone dissenting vote against the motion to censure James, resulting in the 6-1 outcome.
Chavez, who has experience as both a state legislator and an administrator at CU Denver, noted after the meeting that the censure process had significant implications for the governance of the university.
Chairwoman Rennison clarified during the meeting that moving forward with the censure process does not guarantee that James will ultimately be censured.
She explained, “The invocation of a portion of the regents’ policy asks for the firm to provide evidence of allegations or evidence that the allegations weren’t true, and it gives Regent James and her attorney an opportunity to respond in writing.
At that point, a meeting will be called for the presentation of that information, and regents would then vote on whether to censure or not.”
This incident marks the possible second censure of a regent in the university’s history.
James, who made history as the first Black woman elected to the board in over four decades, assumed her role in 2023 and is set to serve until 2029.
Having previously graduated from CU Boulder, she has an extensive professional background, including four years of military service and experience in Fortune 100 companies.
Following the meeting, James stated in an interview that she anticipated this outcome.
She remarked, “This type of railroading happens all the time, especially at this university.
When you see something that is racist and you speak out about it, the message is clear.
The message to Black leaders has never changed: If you speak up, you will be punished.
If you disrupt the status quo, you will be targeted.”
James asserted that the potential censure was a punitive response to her objection against what she termed as the university’s anti-Black messaging.
She described the visual content of the campaign, stating it featured dark-skinned males in panels alongside negative descriptors regarding the impacts of marijuana.
“My only crime is pointing out that the University of Colorado has a racism problem and that they put out these horrible tropes,” she declared emphatically.
In response to the allegations and the censure process, James has secured legal representation from the civil rights law firm Rathod Mahamedbhai, LLC.
“I’m going to continue to stand up for the faculty and staff at the University of Colorado and the students who have written numerous letters to the regents and university leadership, raising concerns about anti-Black treatment at the institution,” she added.
In a separate agenda item, Rennison was cleared of any wrongdoing regarding allegations about her past conduct, receiving unanimous support from the board of regents after an independent investigation.
A resolution stated, “The Board of Regents unequivocally finds that, based on outside counsel’s review, there was no evidence or information to suggest that Regent Rennison violated any state law or Regent policies.”
Rennison faced scrutiny earlier this year when former colleagues alleged she was compensated as a full-time employee while performing part-time work and that she misused her influence.
Following the investigation, she welcomed the inquiry, stating that the independent counsel interviewed several individuals and reviewed various documents, ultimately clearing her of any misconduct.
“The inquiries concluded that there was nothing there,” Rennison said after the meeting.
The online meeting, which drew about three dozen attendees, was exclusively devoted to addressing the issues surrounding James and Rennison.
The public portion concluded quickly following a private session lasting an hour, with minimal discussion and just thirty minutes of public deliberation.
Rennison indicated that the timeline leading to a vote on whether to censure James would likely unfold over the next two weeks.
She emphasized the importance of allowing for an unbiased approach to the pending investigation.
“I think one thing that’s really important is for nobody to draw conclusions,” she stated.
“All of us are going into it with an open mind.
We’re going to wait and see what the facts that are presented are and then make decisions.”
image source from：https://www.cpr.org/2025/06/13/cu-regents-vote-to-continue-potential-censure-wanda-james/
