Dear Superintendent Dorland,

At the recent Board Study Session you indicated that you are “sick and tired” of employee misconduct reporting problems.  So are we.

We are encouraged to see recent increased attention to this critical issue at public board meetings and in the media. However, our organization has been actively raising these concerns for more than a year.

Despite repeated efforts, current board members and district administration declined to engage in direct dialogue with us. We have collaborated with highly qualified and experienced professionals to identify recurring patterns, drawing on insights from our extensive network of current and former employees, victims, and community members. This collaboration has provided us with a distinctive perspective and a responsibility.

Additionally, the district declined an offer from a leading national data-tracking organization specializing in addressing gaps in cross-county and interstate reporting of educator misconduct. This company partners directly with districts all over the country to enhance reporting systems, as referenced during the recent board meeting.

We have also established contact with Faith Colson, the advocate whose experiences led to the enactment of Faith’s Law in Illinois—a landmark legislative effort to strengthen prevention, reporting, and accountability measures related to sexual misconduct in K-12 schools.

While we acknowledge that reporting gaps and inconsistencies may exist in other school districts across Colorado, it would be hypocritical and counterproductive for Jeffco to point fingers without first addressing its own documented failures. The following cases have occurred within the last 3 years.

While it is unknown if St. Vrain filed the Patricio Illanes Public School Notification Form with CDE, Jeffco irresponsibly missed glaring red flags. First, Mr. Illanes was let go from St. Vrain mid-semester.  This fact should have flagged your HR department.  He had a history of DUIs, failed UAs, violated probation, and was recommended for domestic violence treatment before Jeffco hired him.  AFTER Jeffco hired him (while teaching Jeffco students), he was given an ankle monitor for 90 days and was waiting “out of custody” for a bed in a halfway house. It took very little work for our contacts to uncover this information. St. Vrain reported to the media that their principal and HR department had no record of Jeffco reaching out for a reference check. Regardless of the inter-district dispute, the absence of proactive outreach and verification allowed a candidate with documented red flags to be placed in a classroom. Jeffco’s first reference check question states the following: Are you aware of any reason why this person would not be fit to work with students or otherwise not be fit for this position?  Yet, it was not asked. Multiple critical opportunities to prevent or end this hire were neglected.

The case involving former Columbine High School social studies teacher Leann Kearney represents a particularly egregious example of Jeffco’s failures in reporting, intervention, and compliance with mandatory reporting obligations under Colorado law.

District investigators concluded that Kearney engaged in grooming behavior toward a 17-year-old female student over several years (beginning as early as 2018–2019), with evidence including thousands of text messages and calls.  Multiple school staff members assisted the student in filing federal paperwork to declare herself an “unaccompanied homeless youth” (despite living with her parents), enabling her to ultimately move in with her predator. Emails obtained through public records requests showed deliberate efforts to conceal the arrangement from the family.

When the student’s mother presented evidence to the principal, including phone records, he reportedly dismissed concerns by stating that Kearney “takes interest in helping kids navigate their sexuality.” No immediate action was taken to halt contact or report to authorities, even amid a Safe2Tell tip suggesting the relationship may have become sexual. Kearney, who was on military leave at the time, did not return to the district and later resigned.

Critically, despite awareness among multiple mandatory reporters, no timely notification was made to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) as required under C.R.S. 22-32-109.7 for substantiated allegations of unlawful behavior involving a child. The teacher’s license remained active for approximately 18–24 months following the initial reports, during which time she retained full access to her teaching license.

It was only after persistent advocacy by the student’s family (supported by Jeffco Kids First’s 18-month effort), including hundreds of pages of documentation and outreach to state officials—that the CDE and Colorado Attorney General investigated and revoked Kearney’s teaching license, explicitly citing grooming behavior.  The family also reported this issue to the military.

This case drew national and international attention (including coverage by CBS Colorado, the New York Post, and Daily Mail) and forced a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office criminal analysis into the district’s actions.

In a Feb 2024 case, Robles-Luevanos, employed by Jefferson County Public Schools for approximately three years, primarily assisted Spanish-speaking families as a translator.  Public records and arrest affidavits detail that he allegedly called two boys under the age of 15 into his office on Valentine’s Day 2024 under the pretext of conducting “medical exams,” during which he inappropriately touched them. A third attempted assault was also alleged. Lakewood Police executed a search warrant on his office, uncovering evidence including covered windows, disposable gloves, and a notebook with students’ names.

Critically, open records and investigative reporting (due to Jeffco Kids First documentation cited in July 2025 reports) reveal that a two-year outstanding arrest warrant was missed during his employment screening or ongoing monitoring. While the district conducted a fingerprint-based CBI/FBI check upon hiring (stating that prior criminal convictions were deemed non-disqualifying), the failure to detect or address the active warrant constitutes a significant breach of due diligence.

Next, we have the Adam’s 12 situation.  An employee was allowed to resign in lieu of termination for grooming allegations.  Jeffco accepted the resignation without proceeding to formal dismissal and, critically, did not notify the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) as required by state statute (C.R.S.22-32-109.7) when an employee separates due to allegations of unlawful behavior involving a child supported by a preponderance of evidence. This omission left the teacher’s professional record un-flagged in the state’s licensing system. Soon after, our advocacy efforts—through diligent tracking and cross-district monitoring—identified the individual employed in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, a neighboring district. Upon being alerted by Jeffco Kids First, Adams 12 leadership acted promptly: they placed the teacher on administrative leave and ultimately terminated their employment. In stark contrast to Jeffco’s approach, Adams 12 demonstrated exemplary transparency. Through Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests, they provided comprehensive documentation of their swift and decisive response, underscoring greater accountability and proactive protection of students.

In the case of Social Worker Chloe Castro, Jeffco did not initially conduct their own investigation. In addition, our records show that Jeffco did not notify CDE, stating that they assume CDE will receive law enforcement reports.

Yet another case—an employee with a history of 14 years of misconduct was finally fired for a Safe To Tell report outlining allegations of sexual relationships with students. The district stopped allowing this person access to school property.  Yet, it took the district months to finally make the report to CDE even though the statute lists 10 business days.

Regarding the recent egregious Chevrier case (charged with sexual assault on a victim under 15, soliciting for child prostitution, possession with intent to manufacture, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and was caught with ketamine on school grounds) Cherry Creek informed our organization that they opted not to offer him a position following his internship in 2022.  He was then hired in Jeffco. Did Jeffco inquire about Cherry Creek's decision?

In February 2025, we alerted you to a child-facing employee who had been hired despite extensive felony history. Jeffco Schools knew about this history but went through with the hire.

Finally, a teacher who sent bizarre and sexually suggestive text messages to his young 11 year old student was moved to an alternative school. Law enforcement was involved. When we alerted you a year after the fact, you were not aware of this case.  This person has since retired from Jeffco but was recently charged with felony menacing with a weapon. CDE reports show his license was revoked only for those charges. Was the public school notification form submitted to CDE on this employee after we alerted you and sent grooming evidence?

While engaging with state legislators—as referenced in recent board discussions—is a valuable effort, Jefferson County Public Schools Board and administration bear the primary responsibility to act at the local level and protect students.

We therefore call on all leadership to immediately engage a comprehensive, impartial, third-party auditor.  The audit should publicly release detailed findings and recommendations, including but not limited to:

*Current and recent employee reference and background check processes

*Confirmation that reference checks were completed thoroughly for every current employee

*Examination of documentation for all cases involving mid-year resignations, prior policy violations, or concerns from previous employers

*Review of Jeffco's tendency to allow employees with substantiated misconduct allegations to "resign in lieu of termination"

*Verification of compliance with state statutes which require districts to notify CDE within 10 business days of separations due to substantiated misconduct allegations of unlawful behavior involving children, thereby enabling statewide educator licensing safeguards

*Implementation of mandatory, standardized training for HR personnel on reference verification, background checks, and ongoing employee follow-up

Decisive local action is essential to prevent future risks and rebuild confidence in our schools. Our organization stands ready to support this effort.

Lindsay Datko

Jeffco Kids First