WEEK OF NOVEMBER 23, 2023
VOLUME 128 | ISSUE 39
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Forum focuses on school probe Four Elizabeth Middle School staff members were placed on leave amid investigation BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
One week after parents received an email revealing that four Elizabeth Middle School staff members were on leave amid an investigation, Elizabeth School District Superintendent Dan Snowberger held a public forum to address the situation. About 50 people attended the forum held Nov. 15 at the middle school, where Snowberger was joined by Elizabeth Police Chief Jeff Engel. School board members Rhonda Olsen and Mary Powell also were present. On Nov. 8, district parents received an email notifying them of the ongoing investigation at EMS. The email read, in part: “Earlier in this school year, Elizabeth School District administration learned of complaints made last spring by Elizabeth Middle School students. Such complaints require staff members to report immediately under C.R.S. 19-3-304 .… “In cooperation with law enforcement, district leadership has been conducting an investigation re-
Elizabeth Middle School, where four staff members recently were placed on leave amid an investigation into an alleged incident PHOTO BY NICKY QUINBY from last spring.
lated to the incidents that students brought forward last year. During the course of the investigation, four members of the EMS staff were placed on administrative leave as determined appropriate by the superintendent.” Parents and community members listened patiently while Snowberger explained what he could about the situation. He expressed frustration
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that the alleged incident occurred during his tenure, which began in March 2023, but was not reported at the time to the board or administration. How investigation began
Snowberger said he received a call from Engel on Sept. 26. Engel explained that a parent contacted him about a situation that occurred last
school year that seemed worth passing on to law enforcement. Engel spoke briefly to explain why the Elizabeth Police Department wasn’t conducting the investigation. Especially in a small town, EPD wanted to ensure there would be no conflict of interest and that the investigation was “fair and impartial SEE MIDDLE SCHOOL, P12
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