WEEK OF AUGUST 10, 2023
VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 51
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Families sue Douglas County schools over bias response
DA Kellner, Sheriff Weekly host town hall in Highlands Ranch BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Around 50 students, parents and community members gathered outside the Douglas County School District building on May 23 PHOTO BY MCKENNA HARFORD to protest the district’s response to reports of discrimination.
Legal filing alleges discrimination, inaction BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Three 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 staff 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 filed the complaint. The 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
VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12 | CALENDAR: 9
Middle School Principal John Viet as defendants. The children are not named in the lawsuit to protect their privacy. The complaint argues that the racial harassment of the students is a consequence of a district culture that doesn’t value educational equity, specifically alleging School Board President Mike Peterson and board members Kaylee Winegar, Becky Myers and Christy Williams SEE SUE, P6
District Attorney John Kellner, of the 18th Judicial District, and Douglas County Sheriff 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. The 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. “There 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 first spoke about People v. Jessica Stahl. Stahl was sentenced to 22 years for a fatal DUI in Parker. She was SEE TOWN HALL, P4
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