Boulder city manager files complaint against NAACP Boulder County members, alleging ‘unethical behavior’

Update: This story was updated on Oct. 17 to include a comment from Boulder City Councilmember Taishya Adams.

City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde has filed a formal complaint with the national NAACP, accusing three members of the Boulder County chapter of engaging in “unethical behavior” in their efforts to push for the resignation of the city’s newly appointed police chief.

The complaint is the latest development in a dispute over the hiring of Steve Redfearn, who became police chief in September 2024 after serving as interim chief. It highlights growing tensions between city leadership and several members of the NAACP Boulder County, historically a key player in Boulder’s racial equity and police reform efforts.

Rivera-Vandermyde’s complaint alleges that three members of NAACP Boulder County secretly recorded a meeting and attempted to use the recording to pressure her, implying they would release it if Redfearn were hired, according to an email from the city manager to Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the national NAACP. The city manager’s complaint names NAACP Boulder County President Annett James and board members Judith Landsman and Darren O’Connor.

Since late last year, NAACP Boulder County has called for Redfearn’s resignation due to his previous role with the Aurora Police Department. Redfearn was serving as captain in 2019 when officers arrested Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died after being forcibly restrained and sedated. Redfearn decided to call in a critical incident team to investigate the case. He also changed dispatch logs to describe the event from “suspicious person” to “assault on a police officer.” These actions came to light during Redfearn’s testimony last year for state prosecutors in the trial of officers involved in McClain’s death. Redfearn said his decision to change the dispatch logs was based on the information he received from officers at the time.

Read: Boulder deputy police chief hires legal counsel amid Elijah McClain accusations and escalating dispute

The city manager appointed Redfearn police chief in September following a monthslong recruitment process that included interviews with two other candidates. On Oct. 14, the NAACP Boulder County released a statement criticizing the decision,  describing Redfearn as “demonstrably anti-Black” and lacking cultural competence. The statement also included a partial transcript from a July 25, 2024, meeting between Rivera-Vandermyde, Redfearn, his chief of staff Alastair McNiven, and the three NAACP Boulder County leaders.

According to Rivera-Vandermyde, that meeting, requested by a community member for conflict mediation, was intended to improve “trust and mutual respect.” However, a full recording obtained by Boulder Reporting Lab revealed that the meeting was tense, marked at times by accusations and offensive language. During the meeting, Redfearn shared his personal experience of being outed and discriminated against as a gay man, to which O’Connor responded with a crude comment about his sexuality. Redfearn said he was offended, and confronted O’Connor, who apologized several times.

Later on, Redfearn said James was “smirking” at him while he was responding to a question, prompting a heated exchange. James said such comments stem from a “system of racism” that leads to police shooting Black people, while Redfearn disagreed.

Following the  NAACP’s release of the partial transcript, Rivera-Vandermyde issued a public statement on Oct. 16 to “set the record straight” about the “supposedly confidential” three-hour mediation session. Her statement underscored a growing rift between city leadership and NAACP Boulder County.

“I welcome constructive criticism, and different perspectives, and I realize that part of being City Manager means I will sometimes make decisions that do not make everyone happy,” she wrote. “What I cannot tolerate is unethical behavior by people who purport to stand for progressive community values but then act in intentional ways that break trust, undermine public processes, and distract us from our collective mission of making Boulder a more equitable, safe, and thriving city.”

City officials said they were unaware the meeting was recorded and said that participants had signed an agreement not to “publish details of the discussions in newspapers, blogs, or any other form of media.” Rivera-Vandermyde described the recording as a “blatant attempt to influence a fair and thorough hiring process.”

Rivera-Vandermyde said she filed a formal complaint with the national NAACP in early September, just days before announcing the hiring Redfearn as police chief . In her statement, she said she hopes the national NAACP organization “addresses this unethical conduct by a chapter bearing its name.”

Spokespeople for the national NAACP did not immediately respond to Boulder Reporting Lab’s questions about whether the organization received the complaint or how it will be addressed.

In response, O’Connor, chair of the NAACP Boulder County’s criminal justice committee, said the mutual agreement was not legally binding. He also accused Rivera-Vandermyde of orchestrating a biased recruitment process in which Redfearn was always intended to be hired.

“The lack of good faith begins and ends with her and Redfearn,” O’Connor wrote in an email to Boulder Reporting Lab. “The truth is, she spent the City’s time and money creating a sham process in which Redfearn was always going to be chosen. An untold amount of money was spent hiring facilitators of the conversation, with the hope that the offering of a conversation would be sufficient to silence our critiques.”

While O’Connor defended the release of the recording, stating it was necessary to “address mischaracterizations by city leaders,” he said he was unaware the meeting had been recorded and could not explain why it was done due to attorney-client ethics.

The dispute between the city manager and the members of the NAACP Boulder County has grown unusually personal but could have policy implications.

The city has previously sought the organization’s input on new ordinances, including the creation of the Police Oversight Panel, which reviews internal investigations into officer misconduct and makes policy recommendations. The panel was formed after a Boulder officer pulled a gun on an unarmed Black college student picking up trash outside his home.

“As a member of the NAACP of Boulder County, I was very excited about the mediation that was to take place. It has been disappointing to see the breach of confidentiality,” Councilmember Taishya Adams said during the Oct. 17 council meeting.  “And yet I am hopeful for a future where our staff and leadership at the city have meaningful relationships in a collaborative spirit with the NAACP of Boulder County grounded in mutual respect and understanding.”

Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Speer, who is also a member of NAACP Boulder County, said she hopes the community can keep in mind the work the organization is doing around equity, inclusion and civil rights.

“We shouldn’t condemn an organization — especially one that is so aligned with the goals of our city — based on the actions of a small number of individuals,” Speer told Boulder Reporting Lab.

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