Less than a week after Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Chris Smith abruptly resigned following allegations of a toxic work environment, his wife, Brenda Smith, has been placed on paid, administrative leave, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Brenda Smith is the district’s chief human resource officer, a position she has held since 2019.

“As of Monday, February 2, 2026, Brenda Smith has been placed on Administrative Leave,” Sonja McKenzie, the district’s general counsel, said in a statement. “Given that this is a personnel matter, I cannot comment further at this time.”

District officials are conducting an investigation but provided no details.

Chris Smith was hired in 2021 to replace Scott Siegfried, who retired after more than 20 years with the district and three as superintendent. A year later, then Board President Kelly Bates wrote a one-page memo about how the Smiths were to conduct themselves with Brenda Smith reporting to Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Perry.

“In the event that the ability of either Christopher Smith or Brenda Smith to perform their professional duties, including in particular, the ability to make personnel decisions, is impacted by their relationship, I hereby direct the Superintendent to involve both the Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Jennifer Perry, and General Counsel, Sonja S. McKenzie, in any such decisions,” Bates wrote.

The memo, however, did not describe how concerns about workplace culture or conduct would be identified, escalated or independently reviewed — nor did it specify what role, if any, the school board would play in overseeing compliance with the arrangement.

The memo does not appear to have been approved by the Cherry Creek Board of Education.

The district does have a nepotism policy.

It’s unclear what prompted Bates’ memo. She has declined to comment.

A former president of the Cherry Creek School Board warned the panel nearly four years ago – prompted by Denver Gazette stories detailing allegations of a toxic and misogynistic work environment within the district – that employee grievances might not be impartially or fairly addressed because of the marriage between its superintendent and human resources director.

Smith abruptly resigned last week following new allegations in media reports that the relationship with his wife, human resources director Brenda Smith, had created a toxic work environment, in which employees found it difficult to have grievances resolved.

But the latest claims are much the same as those exposed in February 2022 by The Denver Gazette, which outlined alleged behavior that included outright threats of firing to subordinates for reporting any misbehavior or misconduct, as well as a permissive culture where men were treated demonstrably different than women and inappropriate or harassing behavior was routinely tolerated.

In the wake of Chris Smith’s resignation last week, Perry was named interim superintendent.

With nearly 52,000 students, Cherry Creek is the fourth-largest school district in Colorado and consistently ranks among the best in the state, Colorado Department of Education data shows.

The board is expected to begin its superintendent search this month, officials have said.

Investigative Reporter David Migoya contributed to this article.