GOLDEN, Colo. — At a crowded Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education meeting Thursday, a group of parents claimed to have proof of a "troubling pattern" within the district.
Lindsay Datko, the founder of JeffCo Kids First, began her address to the board by saying the group has documentation of "26 recent incidents of sexual abuse, misconduct, grooming, and hiring and firing issues" within the school district.
"Why is past egregious behavior overlooked?" Datko asked the board. "Why is unethical behavior or professional incompetence left unreported?"
Denver7 spoke with the school district, which said all employees must pass a "rigorous" Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background check, along with a reference check. The district also said its school board is "always fully advised" on any issue regarding serious misconduct.
"Under Colorado law and the negotiated agreements with our associations for licensed teachers and non-licensed staff, Jeffco is held accountable to steps of due process regarding employment termination. So should a staff member make the decision to resign in lieu of the legal dismissal process, Jeffco will often accept this resignation to quickly remove the staff member from our payroll and save our taxpayers money rather than going through what can often be a lengthy and legally required dismissal process," said Kimberly Mahugh, associate chief of communications and strategic partnerships for Jeffco Public Schools.
Mahugh said if the school district becomes aware of unlawful behavior, it will still report the individual to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), no matter if the employee was formally dismissed or resigned in lieu of termination.
"We still report that individual to CDE state licensure process, which is tied into the CBI [and] FBI background check process, so that would still show up. And there's a potential that CDE — we would recommend maybe that their license be revoked, [but] ultimately, CDE would make that decision," said Mahugh.
Still, Datko believes there is not enough scrutiny applied to staff members within Jeffco Public Schools.
"We ask the board for accountability, erring unquestionably on the side of child safety and fiercely prioritizing the innocence of Jeffco children," Datko said.
Mahugh sent Denver7 the state law the district follows regarding its hiring process. The statute requires that employees or applicants be terminated or disqualified from district employment if their background check results show any of the following offenses:
- Felony child abuse, as described in C.R.S. 18-6-401;
- A crime of violence, as defined in C.R.S. 18-1.3-406 (2);
- A felony involving unlawful sexual behavior, as defined in C.R.S. 16-22-102 (9);
- Felony domestic violence, as defined in C.R.S. 18-6-800.3;
- A felony drug offense, as described in C.R.S. 18-18-401 et seq., committed on or after August 25, 2012;
- Felony indecent exposure, as described in C.R.S. 18-7-302;
- Attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit any of the offenses described in items 1-6; or
- An offense committed outside of this state, which if committed in this state would constitute an offense described in items 1-7
More information about the school district's staff hiring and recruiting policy is available online.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.