How Colorado educators fail to report sex abuse of students — and get away with it The principal caught an incriminating sight when she walked by the classroom: The male math teacher was sitting provocatively close to the 13-year-old student perched on his desk wearing a short skirt. But the principal did nothing other than warn the teacher, after the student exited, to act more professionally. Throughout the spring of 2011, rumors flew around the hallways at Rocky Heights Middle School in Highlands Ranch about the teacher, Richard "Rick" Johnson, and young girls. After Johnson plastered his office walls with photos of another eighth-grade girl he liked to hug, students talked about how he must be ... An investigation by The Denver Post found that the mandatory reporting law is seldom enforced and often results in leniency for violators. Those convicted of the law face a penalty as low as a $50 fine. While criminal penalties have been light, legal proceedings have raised questions about how seriously school districts take their mandatory reporting obligations. At least three lawsuits accusing school authorities in Colorado of ignoring mandatory reporting requirements resulted in settlements, one of which cost $1.4 million. "If a child tells you they have been harmed, sexually assaulted or raped, you should say it's not your fault ... Continue reading... http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com...rado-educators-fail-report-sex-abuse-students
How Colorado educators fail to report sex abuse of students — and get away with it Charging documents say administrators pressured the alleged victim, a teen, to recant her claim of sexual abuse by Brian Vasquez, a teacher at Prairie. Vasquez has now been charged with sexually assaulting five students. Cherry Creek School District's ... Continue reading... http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/news/colorado/ci_31948013/how-colorado-educators-fail-report-sex-abuse-students
