Eddie Waldrep, a candidate for the Academy School District 20 Board of Education, has touted his experience as clinical psychologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). His campaign website notes, “Today, he serves on the VA’s PTSD Clinical Team, helping veterans overcome trauma and reclaim their lives. Dr. Waldrep’s work in resilience, trauma, and self-efficacy reflects a career-long commitment to problem-solving and fostering human potential.”
Records obtained via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveal nine complaints from colleagues about Waldrep’s attitudes towards working groups for veterans of color and a written counseling for “disrespectful, insulting, abusive, insolent, or obscene language or conduct.”
Waldrep has a long and well-documented history of anti-trans activism, serving with the Colorado chapter of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR), which has led fights against LGBTQ-inclusive policies.
Waldrep, like many diehard anti-trans activists, has experienced professional consequences for his activism. After co-authoring an anti-trans op-ed for the Hill, Waldrep, who worked at a Veterans Affairs Clinic in Denver, was stripped of his ability to supervise students and prohibited from doing didactics trainings with rotations and from attending meetings where students were present.
Like many conservative activists, Waldrep’s concerns do not extend to just LGBTQ issues, but also to issues of race, particularly anti-white racism. In 2022, Waldrep took issue with the VA’s “Race-Based Stress Trauma and Empowerment” (RBSTE) group, which addressed the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination for veterans.
According to a Jan. 28, 2022, redacted “report of contact” submitted by one of Waldrep’s colleagues, “Dr. Waldrep asked whether the group participated in ‘mission creep’ (i.e., whether the group was overreaching in its focus on trauma). I described the group as an opportunity to teach veterans of color skills to manage the mental challenges of racism. During this encounter, Dr. Waldrep solely attributed racism to microaggressions and challenged their validity and existence … Dr. Waldrep attributed the occurrence of racism to not working hard enough. He then asked if a veteran of color isn’t promoted, is that racism? Dr. Waldrep asked about the definition of ‘systemic racism’ and doubted its existence as well as the concept of ‘institutionalized racism.’”
During a March 1, 2022, communication to a colleague over a messaging app, Waldrep sent them a link to the conservative activist group FAIR. In response to Waldrep’s continued focus on the RBSTE group, one colleague noted on a March 14, 2022, report of contact, “I expressed to Dr. Waldrep that the group is highly regarded, evidence-based, and considered a good standard of care nationally.”
Another colleague noted that Waldrep’s focus on the group “led to disruption of the meeting and consuming staff time and resources to address.”
During a July 2022 presentation on RBSTE interventions from a colleague, Waldrep “asked if the quote included in the slide was reflective of a comment or anticipated outcome from a participant in a group and would we expect most people who attended the group to complete the group thinking that American society is inherently racist and white supremacists?”
According to the colleague, “Dr. Waldrep’s question is indicative of a denial of the impact of oppressive systems like racism/White supremacy on minoritized populations One of the intentions of the group is to provide a safe space to share and work on coping with race-based stress/trauma, especially in light of the denial/m or minimization of racism that BIPOC individuals often face. In essence, sentiments like those present in Dr. Waldrep’s question contribute to the need for RBSTE interventions. And, the sentiments are inconsistent with our values at the VA and APA principles … I found Dr. Waldrep’s question problematic and counter the culture and mission of our training program and service. This was especially true because of the wording of the question did not sound well intentioned or from a place of respect and collaboration.”
On Sept. 14, 2022, Waldrep sent an email referencing “neo-Marxist” ideologies, FAIR, and the book “The Coddling of the American Mind.” The email elicited a number of reports of contact from VA staff members.
“I believe Dr. Waldrep’s email response is a clear example of unprofessional conduct/communication and should not have been addressed to the entire psychology community,” wrote one colleague. “When I read the email, I had a visceral reaction to include body tremors and rapid heart rate that lasted several hours. As an immigrant born in Iran, I am keenly aware of microaggressions that happen in the workplace. Upon further reflecting on his email, I feel unsafe, psychologically, as a result. I am on several community and training related meetings with Dr. Waldrep, and as a result of his email, have made the decision to step away from my roles in these meetings, so as not to further expose myself to future traumatizing/inappropriate content. This behavior has implication for retention of current employees”
Another colleague noted, “Dr. Waldrep’s email represents a fundamental denial of the realities of the impact of oppressive systems within minority Veteran populations. It directly contradicts the values and direction of the VHA and American Psychological Association, as well as other important professional psychology associations. Both the content and the tenor of this email specifically undermines ECHCS MHS DEI and MHS DEI Training Advisory Board efforts to engage in DEI efforts on behalf of staff … As a result, I will need to spend time with trainees, supervisors and providers in my programs to assure workplace safety.”
The next day, the following email was sent to VA staff members: “This is part of a distinct trend with him that historically has caused similar concerns and been very challenging to address. Specifically, Dr. [redacted] wrote me this morning and is withdrawing from Trauma Lab because Dr. Waldrep is involved and she does not feel safe in this group. This is a real blow because Trauma Lab has grown into a unique space for professional development and employee engagement and Dr. [redacted] recently contributed to curriculum content presentations.”
A Sept. 22, 2022 email simply noted, “Ladies, this is extremely concerning to me and I have heard this many times recently.”
On Nov. 2, 2023, Waldrep received an official written counseling for his conduct. “On Oct. 26, 2023, during the PCT Team Meeting held via TEAMS, various team members discussed their thoughts on the lecture and the ways they use different language and terms to discuss complex concepts with their patients during CPT,” the memo read. “One of those concepts is intimacy. [Redacted], LCSW, was sharing how he uses a boxing metaphor to describe intimacy in his clinical work with veterans. Towards the end of his sharing he stated, ‘That’s intimate, it has nothing to do with sexuality at all.’ You interrupted and said with laughter, ‘Unless you check their oil’ and [redacted] stated, ‘Oh Eddie, come on man, you had to make it weird.’ This behavior caused other team members to feel uncomfortable.”
Waldrep refused to sign the written counseling, and did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
View the released FOIA Documents here:
