Scott McCoy, Denver International Airport's Top Lawyer, Resigns Following Slapping Incident
(CBS4) - CBS4 learned the top attorney for Denver International Airport, Scott McCoy, has submitted his resignation two days after CBS4 reported McCoy slapped a subordinate at a December holiday party for airport executives.
McCoy resigned Wednesday according to sources familiar with the sequence of events. CBS4 had reported on the slapping incident Monday.
The Denver City Attorney's office did not respond to an email Thursday from CBS4 seeking more information about McCoy's resignation. The City Attorney's office has not returned calls, text messages or emails from CBS4 this week related to the smacking incident.
But sources say City Attorney Kristin Bronson told colleagues McCoy would not be coming back and Bronson insisted her office had acted quickly to address the situation.
McCoy, who was an executive vice president at DIA and general counsel, was accused of slapping one of his subordinates multiple times on Dec. 16.
The incident took place at a holiday party for DIA's top executives at a hotel near the airport. Alcohol was being served. A group of DIA leaders, including airport CEO Phil Washington, his Chief of Staff Cristal DeHerrera, airport attorney Everett Martinez and several others, were sitting together at a table when they were joined by McCoy.
The group was discussing police de-escalation tactics, said one source, when McCoy apparently decided to demonstrate, jumped up and violently slapped Martinez in the face multiple times and yelled commands at him, nearly knocking Martinez out of his chair.
Martinez, who is assistant general counsel for DIA, declined to discuss the incident with CBS4.
One source at the party said Martinez appeared to be "shocked" by what happened.
McCoy did not respond to a call this week from CBS4. He joined the airport in May of this year and had overseen a legal team of 18 people who draft contracts, negotiate real estate transactions, secure bond financing and litigate and defend legal claims.
With McCoy's resignation, Bronson is considering stepping in as interim general counsel for the airport.