Two days before a mediation was scheduled, Tammy Powers, a transgender woman who filed a Title IX complaint after allegedly being denied entry into a Colorado Mesa University Tech class, was told the mediation had been canceled.

Powers found out about the cancellation in an email from her Greeley-based attorney, Richard Blundell. 

Powers had been admitted to the Mesa class on baking in Grand Junction and had attended New Mavs Day where she spoke with academic counselor Stephanie Parsons. Afterward, she was allegedly twice denied entry into a class by chef Steve Gould, prompting the Title IX complaint and a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division.

Parsons told Powers that she would have to have a food-handlers certificate in order to take the class, something Powers found odd. In San Francisco, Powers had owned and operated her own restaurant called Tammy’s Chicken and Waffles and alerted Parsons that she had a California food-handlers certificate.  

On the first day of class, Powers alleged that she arrived early, only to be met by Gould who escorted her to the admissions office, where he told the admissions counselor, “This person has questions for you.” Powers walked back to the class, with the intention of speaking with Gould, but Gould again walked her back to the admissions office.  

Powers contacted Parsons, who said she would contact Powers in 24 hours, but Powers said she never received more communication. In addition, on the class’s website, nowhere did it specify that a food-handlers certificate was needed for the class. 

After Powers filed her two complaints, she searched for legal representation and eventually settled with Blundell.  

“I drove out to Greeley to meet him,” Powers said. “We disagreed on the amount that I was asking for in mediation. He was uncomfortable asking for what I’d suggested. We started to bump heads. He said that the state is broke and has no money.” 

According to Powers, Blundell did not inform her before he contacted the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. On May 12, he emailed her saying that mediation was canceled and that she would “need to find a legal advocacy group to take this on.” 

Powers said she believed Blundell allegedly violated her confidentiality by talking to the opposing counsel about information covered by attorney-client privilege, and submitted a letter of complaint with the Colorado Bar Association. 

“I’ve contacted so many lawyers, but no one has time. I’m just going to handle this myself,” Powers said. “I’m so angry with the Attorney General’s Office. There’s been no explanation on what this means or what the procedure is.” 

Since May 12 when mediation was canceled, Powers said that CMU had asked for two extensions. 

“The school asked for an extension until June 9 and then another one until June 22,” Powers said. “They said that witnesses were out of the country. But there are no witnesses — it was just me and Gould. The school just keeps asking for more time.” 

When the state responds on June 22, Powers will have the right of rebuttal. 

“I’m frustrated, in my original complaint I didn’t have all the details I should have included,” Powers said. 

The Attorney General’s Office said it couldn’t “confirm or otherwise comment on investigations, and the office had no comment.” Richard Blundell’s law office did not respond to requests for comments. 

According to a statement from the university, “CMU is unable to comment on any specific student complaint. CMU welcomes all students and takes any allegation of discrimination seriously.”