ELIZABETH, Colo. — Three Elizabeth Middle School staff members who are currently on suspension are facing criminal charges and will not be returning to their jobs.
According to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office, Principal Bret Michel, Assistant Principal Jeff Sparrow and Counselor Shannon Paxton each face one count of failure to report suspected child abuse.
A release from the Elizabeth School District said the three of them, who have been on administrative leave since Nov. 8, will no longer be employed by the district pending approval of the separations at the Dec. 11 Board of Education meeting.
A fourth employee, a teacher who has been on administrative leave since Sept. 27, will remain on leave for the time being, according to the release.
The school district will conduct its own investigation after the completion of the criminal investigation to determine whether further action on the part of the district is required, according to the release.
The district said its actions are the result of Superintendent Dan Snowberger's investigation into allegations that student complaints made last spring about a teacher did not result in reports to law enforcement or the Department of Human Services under Colorado's mandatory reporting law.
“While we recognize these individuals’ many positive, past contributions to the school community, we have high expectations that our staff will follow legal expectations and board policies in keeping our students safe and investigating any and all reports of concerning behavior,” Snowberger said in a statement.
The district has not revealed what the teacher is accused of doing. Due to a conflict of interest, the Elizabeth Police Department transferred the case to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office for investigation.
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