A newly launched bookstore in Denver has found itself in turmoil after severing ties with its prominent co-founder, following an online backlash concerning his past actions. This controversy led to a swift change in leadership, just weeks after the store’s grand opening.

The Denver Book Society announced on Friday that Kwame Spearman is no longer part of the business. The decision highlights how rapidly the controversy surrounding his history flared up, threatening to overshadow the bookstore’s mission and future.

“It became clear that a change in leadership was needed,” the store stated, emphasizing the urgency of the decision shortly after welcoming its first customers.

Owner Rich Garvin emphasized the finality of the split.

“Kwame is passionate about preserving independent bookstores, and I appreciate his initial contributions,” Garvin remarked. “However, his ongoing involvement with the Denver Book Society does not align with the bookstore’s mission.”

Moving forward, Garvin will assume full responsibility as the sole leader of the establishment.

The split follows a social media firestorm that erupted shortly after the bookstore opened. Spearman – who once ran for city mayor – allegedly posted about his own personal views on ICE on the store’s public Instagram account. 

Garvin tried to reassure the community: ‘We didn’t approve of how he approached this messaging, or how he engaged with our community in the comments of that post. Please rest assured that DBS remains firmly in support of immigrant rights.’

Kwame Spearman has parted ways with the Denver Book Society just weeks after it opened

Critics revived Spearman’s past comments about cooperation with ICE during the 2023 Denver mayoral race

But critics also brought up longstanding grievances tied to Spearman’s tenure at Denver’s iconic Tattered Cover – and his brief, controversial foray into politics.

Online posts on Reddit and Instagram accused Spearman of supporting cooperation with federal immigration authorities during his 2023 mayoral campaign – a position that clashed sharply with Denver’s sanctuary city identity.

At the time, Spearman had suggested there were ‘opportunities for that cooperation between the suburban cities and the counties with the federal government,’ in remarks reported during the race. The  comments drew a fierce backlash from fellow Democrats.

Spearman later pushed back, insisting the characterization of his remarks was wrong.

‘I don’t support ICE,’ he wrote in response to critics. ‘Never have.’ But the controversy did not stop there.

Former colleagues also renewed allegations about his management style at the Tattered Cover, with one of his closest former associates delivering a blistering assessment.

‘Kwame badly mistreated the extremely dedicated and loyal Tattered Cover staff,’ said David Back, the Denverite reported. 

‘He’s a bully who makes himself feel big by making others feel small. Kwame thought he was the captain of the Titanic, but actually, he was the iceberg.’

Kwame Spearman, the former worker at the Tattered Cover bookstore chain based in Denver is seen campaigning for Mayor in a March 2023

Owner Rich Garvin will now serve as the store’s sole leader. Garvin said Spearman’s ‘continued involvement… is not serving the mission of this bookstore’

The resurfacing of such criticisms, combined with the political controversy from 2023 quickly snowballed into a reputational crisis for the bookstore, with some critics pledging to boycott the new venture altogether.

Garvin acknowledged the damage and his own role in it.

‘This is my greatest passion project; I’m sorry that personnel choices alienated the Denver community and that I failed to recognize these issues in advance,’ he said.

He emphasized that the Denver Book Society would continue to position itself as an inclusive ‘third place’ for community dialogue, with programming and donations supporting immigrant rights organizations.

At the center of the dispute is also a disagreement over how Spearman’s role was publicly portrayed.

‘While Kwame presented himself publicly as a partner in Denver Book Society, I have always been the sole financial investor and owner of the store,’ Garvin said, clarifying that Spearman had been brought in as a consultant to help shape operations and programming.

But Spearman insists his departure was always part of the plan.

‘From the very beginning, the plan was that once we reached this point, I would transition out of my role in the business and the bookstore would move forward under Rich’s sole leadership,’ he wrote in an explanation published on Friday. 

‘This transition is not a change in direction. It is the completion of the original plan.’

Spearman said his stepping aside from the bookshop was a transition and ‘is not a change in direction’ but the completion of an original plan

Aside from running for Denver mayor, Spearman later ran for a school board, but was unsuccessful in both races

In a separate note Spearman added: ‘Bookstores should be places of quiet discovery, not headlines.’

Spearman had attempted to reintroduce himself to Denver through the new bookstore after a turbulent few years that included a failed effort to save the Tattered Cover, an aborted mayoral campaign, and a subsequent unsuccessful run for the Denver school board.

He had openly acknowledged past mistakes, telling Denverite: ‘When you come in and you’re a Tasmanian devil, you stress the staff, you stress your finances, and you stress the business.’

Spearman has been contacted for comment.