DENVER "Immediate action was necessary."Those are the words of Cherry Creek School Board President Anne Egan amid the announcement of an external audit following a series of Denver7 Investigates reports which put district leade rship under the microscope.In a statement released ahead of a public meeting on Monday night, the board of education announced additional reforms and changes are being made after drastic administrative changes.Just over one week has passed since Christopher Smith, the district's now former superintendent, resigned.Days later, Brenda Smith, the district's chief of human resources and Christopher's wife, was placed on administrative leave."All five members of this board are committed to transparency with and accountability for our community, said Egan.Monday's statement outlined steps the board says the district is taking, including requiring all contracts be approved by the legal department and implementing specific guidelines when it comes to travel for the remainder of the year.Additionally, the board says the external audit will focus partially on fiscal responsibilities.Denver7 Investigates requested detailed records regarding former Superintendent Smith's expense reports, some of which we received and some we are still waiting for.Three sources spoke to Denver7 Investigates in silhouette with their voices disguised because they feared retaliation. Roughly a dozen others decided not to go on camera out of fear of retaliation against them and their families, but they independently reinforced the comments of those who went on camera. Watch Denver7 Investigates' reporting on those allegations in the video player below: Employees, insiders speak of toxic culture within Cherry Creek School District"I think people don't feel safe. You can't question the superintendent because his wife is head of HR," one of the sources said during their on-camera interview. "I think it's a huge problem and I think it hurts our students."Denver7 Investigates obtained nearly a dozen complaint letters circulating inside of the school district, including several sent directly to the elected school board.Following a study session on Friday, a group of parents voiced their frustration with what they a call a "lack of transparency" from the board."We are simply just trying to get answers, answers on how we manage to allow ourselves to get into the situation that we're in," said Shadhaa Ramadan, who has three children in the district and graduated from the district, herself.In Monday's statement, Egan said, in part: Several items still under review, such as personnel matters, require legal advice and counsel, which compels the Board to meet in Executive Session more often than wed like. As these matters come to resolution, we will return to a more normal cadence of Board meetings and the community will continue to see the Board review District policies and make adjustments as necessary. ...read more read less