DENVER – A former paraeducator at Quist Middle School in Thornton has been charged with sexual assault on a child after allegedly sexually assaulting a student at the school, according to prosecutors.
Cathia Covarrubias Ruiz, 24, faces counts of sexual assault on a child, sexual assault on a child – pattern of abuse, and sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. All three counts are felonies.
The alleged sexual relationship happened while Ruiz was working as a paraeducator at the school between October 2021 and January of this year. Paraeucators are school employees who work under the supervision of a teacher or other educators. Minors cannot consent to sex with adults in Colorado.
Ruiz is due to make a court appearance Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Adams County District Court. According to court records, Ruiz was still in jail on Wednesday but had a $20,000 bond set in the case.
No other information about the allegations was released Wednesday.
In a statement, 27J Schools said it had shared Ruiz’s name with Quist Middle School parents on Wednesday and that Ruiz was no longer with the district:
“All of 27J Schools are very sad and angered by the alleged inappropriate relationship of a former employee with a student. Based on the charges brought against the defendant, we find this situation deeply disturbing and traumatic.
“Our first priority is the care and support of the victim. We have offered support to the victim’s family and will continue to offer ongoing support.
“This matter is still under investigation and there’s limited information we can share. However, because we value transparency with our families, earlier this week we reached out to our school parent community to let them know about the allegation and the nature of law enforcement’s investigation.”