Jeffco Schools admins respond to chief of schools death during child pornography investigation ...Middle East

DENVER (KDVR) — The Jefferson County Public Schools administration said Tuesday it is "grappling" with the death of the district's former chief of schools, who was under investigation for child pornography.

At the same time, administrators said they are working to strengthen student safety.

Jeffco Board of Education President Mary Parker released a letter Tuesday about recent board actions regarding the investigation's circumstances. She noted that the board met for a retreat on Jan. 7 to allow board members "to be able to publicly face the crisis at hand."

"We want the Jeffco community to know how seriously we are taking this issue and how appalled we are at the alleged crime," Parker wrote. "This retreat provided us with the opportunity to publicly affirm that any crime against a child is inexcusable and to assure the community that we are actively engaged and collaborating both with Superintendent Dorland and our community on a path forward."

On Dec. 19, 2024, chief of schools David Weiss was terminated from his position in Jeffco due to a criminal investigation. On Jan. 2, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said it was investigating Weiss for criminal activity involving child pornography.

The agency said it was contacted on Jan. 1 by a Maryland sheriff's office about a death investigation involving Weiss. He had been in Maryland visiting family when he died by suicide.

Superintendent Tracy Dorland had sent a letter on Jan. 17 about how the district plans to change its process for clearing new staff members, and the current process it maintains for each new hire.

"Before being hired, every Jeffco Public Schools employee must receive and pass a fingerprint-based CBI/FBI background check," Dorland wrote. "Our Human Resources team receives a prompt report any time an employee has had an arrest or law enforcement charge, so we can act swiftly based on that information. This same process is typical of school districts across the state of Colorado."

Dorland said the school is working to enhance safety by:

Dorland encouraged concerned community members to tune in to the Feb. 13 board meeting.

"(M)embers of my staff will present a comprehensive update, including many of the items I mentioned here. Following this Board meeting, we will launch a new section on our Safety and Security webpage where you can follow our progress on these efforts," Dorland wrote.

Parker wrote Tuesday that the district is "grateful" for its partnership with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, which includes the school resource officer program, and said it is the district's understanding that the investigation is focused on just Weiss.

"(W)e have not received any information to date on whether the former Chief of Schools' personal activities involved anyone within Jeffco," Parker wrote.

She affirmed the district's support of Dorland, calling her a "strong and steady leader," and called on the community to commit to collective child safety.

"Together, we all play a crucial role in ensuring the physical and personal safety of Jeffco students and advocating for their best interests," Parker wrote.

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