Families sue Douglas County schools over bias response DA Kellner, Sheri Weekly host town hall in Highlands Ranch

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

District Attorney John Kellner, of the 18th Judicial District, and Douglas County Sheri Darren Weekly sat down with Highlands Ranch residents recently to provide updates on what’s happening in and outside of the court, crime and legislature.

Discussion started with how the 18th Judicial District will soon be split into two with the formation of the 23rd Judicial District in November 2024.

e new judicial district will encompass Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties as the 18th Judicial District.

Implementation of HB20-1026 will result in the 18th Judicial District, which currently includes Arapahoe County and Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

Legal filing alleges discrimination, inaction

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ree families are suing the Douglas County School District over its response to a pattern of what is being described as racial abuse at Castle Rock Middle School and Douglas County High School.

Filed Aug. 2 in the U.S. District Court for Colorado, the complaint alleges numerous students and sta at the schools targeted four Black or biracial students with harassment, racial slurs and threats, depriving them of equal access to education.

Parents of the students led the complaint. e complaint describes experiences of the children of Lacey Ganzy, Jon and Misty Martin, and Nadarian and Alexis Clark. It lists Douglas County School District, the school board and Castle Rock e children are not named in the lawsuit to protect their privacy. e complaint argues that the racial harassment of the students is a consequence of a district culture that doesn’t value educational equity, speci cally alleging School Board President Mike Peterson and board members Kaylee Winegar, Becky Myers and Christy Williams

Middle School Principal John Viet as defendants.

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“ ere hasn’t been a new judicial district in this state for some 60 plus years,” said Kellner.

Courtroom updates

Kellner also talked about several cases that he wanted to highlight in the area.

Kellner rst spoke about People v. Jessica Stahl.

Stahl was sentenced to 22 years for a fatal DUI in Parker. She was

SEE TOWN HALL, P4