Editor’s note: School District 14 leadership shared this letter with the Bulletin.
Dear Manitou Springs School District families,
The news reports we are all seeing of alleged egregious crimes involving a former MSSD student and staff member are incredibly upsetting. Although these reports are of events that are purported to have happened several years ago, it makes them no less disturbing and understandably has raised concerns in our community and attracted interest from the media.
I want to take this opportunity to reiterate the important request from the Manitou Springs Police Department that any member of the public who has information on the case should reach out to the department at 685-5407.
I also want to share that the school district is cooperating fully with the police, and we are taking their lead on what we can share publicly. We cannot answer any questions about the case —those must be directed to the police department.
However, what I can share with our community is our absolute commitment to student safety and uncompromising position that all MSSD staff shall demonstrate and uphold high professional, ethical and moral standards and shall conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the educational mission of the district.
Additionally, our expectation is that staffers maintain professional boundaries with students at all times. This is language directly from school district’s Staff Conduct and Responsibilities policy GBEB and is a condition of every staff member’s employment.
Effective education and student safety go hand-in-hand. As we continue to help our students reach their goals, I want to ensure that our community understands the student safety measures we have in place and our plans to enhance our focus in this area.
I will start with what is currently in place. First, our school district is bound by Title IX laws related to nondiscrimination and harassment. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.
We have a form that can be used to file Title IX complaints on our website. Go to www.mssd14.org and search for Title IX.
Additionally, reports can be made directly to our school resource officer (astrider@mssd14.org) and local law enforcement, or through the anonymous Safe2Tell system (safe2tell.org or 1-877-542-7233).
TESSA (www.tessacs.org/programs) also provides local help in crisis situations, works with victims to create safety plans, connects victims with other community services and has a 24-hour safe line, 633-3819.
As a school district, specific policies guide staff conduct and responsibilities. In addition, all of our employees are required to follow state laws and we have policies in place that reinforce state laws related to school personnel.
Policy GBEB (referenced above): authorizes the superintendent to conduct an internal investigation or to take any other necessary steps if information is received that a suspected child abuse perpetrator is a school district employee. I want to assure you that when we receive this type of information, I will initiate formal investigations and work with law enforcement to prioritize student safety.
Policies JLF and JLF-R outline the district’s obligation to comply with the Child Protection Act. Specifically, this requires any school official or employee who has reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect or who has observed the child being subjected to circumstances or conditions which would reasonably result in abuse or neglect, as defined by statute, to immediately report or cause a report to be made to the appropriate county department of social services or local law enforcement agency. Failure to report promptly may result in civil and/or criminal liability.
In terms of how we enhance our focus on student safety, I will initiate the following:
• Reminding staff members of their obligation, under the law, as mandatory reporters. Although they are trained on this annually, we will share this information again to reiterate the critical role they play;
• Requesting an external review of our internal reporting and investigation procedures to ensure that they are aligned with best practices; and
• Increasing the visibility of Title IX reporting procedures to high school students and families, as well as staff.
What is being shared on the news is very tough to hear. That any MSSD student would be harmed in our community is simply unacceptable.
I truly believe that our schools provide safe environments, and I will be looking for ways to enhance that safety and protect our students moving forward.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Domangue,
superintendent of schools