Summit School District employees charged with failure to report child abuse
The District Attorney's Office announced the charges hours after the school district's superintendent told parents two of the employees had been placed on administrative leave.
Summit Daily News
Tripp Fay/For Summit Daily News
A grand jury has indicted three Summit County School District employees and one former employee for allegedly failing to report allegations of child abuse, according to a news release from the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Summit Middle School Principal Greg Guevara, 45, of Breckenridge; Summit Middle School counselor Maureen Flannagan, 48, of Kremmling; human resources specialist Amanda Southern, 48, of Breckenridge; and former human resources director Grant Schmidt, 55, of Parker, each face one count of failure to report child abuse or neglect, a Class 3 misdemeanor, the release states.
The grand jury issued the indictments Feb. 23, according to the 5th Judicial District. The four defendants reportedly turned themselves in to law enforcement between Monday, Feb. 27, and Tuesday, Feb. 28. All four were released on personal recognizance bonds of $500. The first court hearing related to the case is scheduled for April 19 at 8:30 a.m., the release states.
In Colorado, the mandatory reporting law applies to a multitude of professions, including school district employees, the news release states. Under the law, those designated as mandatory reporters must immediately report child abuse or neglect to the Department of Human Services, law enforcement or to the State Childhood Reporting Hotline.
John Bryan, a spokesperson for the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, said Tuesday he had no additional information about the circumstances leading to the charges against school district employees.
Earlier in the day, Summit School District Superintendent Tony Byrd sent a letter to parents stating that Guevara and Flannagan have been “placed on administrative leave until further notice.”
Byrd said in the letter that the district is “making plans to support students” on Flannagan’s caseload and told parents to contact assistant principals Nelle Briggs and Jeff Chabot for further questions.
“We will keep you informed with more updated information as we are able,” Byrd wrote.
Byrd did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday evening.
This story is from SummitDaily.com.
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