DougCo Board must address CORA denials or go to court

Suzie Glassman

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0U27VJ_0fY7dOCN00
Photo on Shutterstock

By Suzie Glassman/NewsBreak Denver

(Castle Rock, CO) Steve Zansberg, attorney and president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, sent a five-page document on behalf of his client, Robert Marshall, to the DougCo board of directors requesting the Douglas County records custodian release several records under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) or face a lawsuit.

In an email to the board and district attorneys Monday, Marshall said, "No one likes to litigate, as it is always more expensive and time-consuming than anyone plans.

"But the continued refusal of this board to engage in open and transparent government in violation of Colorado's decades-old Sunshine Laws leaves no alternative unless one simply wants to ignore government secrecy and misconduct. I do not."

Marshall announced his plans to issue the 14-day letter to the board during public comment at last month's board meeting.

Colorado law dictates that individuals must notify the records custodian in writing if they plan to file a lawsuit 14 days before doing so. The custodian must try to resolve the dispute before going to court.

Nothing less than handing over the requested documents will keep Marshall and his attorneys from pursuing the matter in Douglas County District Court.

Read more about the specific documents Marshall requested here.

Read full story in "NewsBreak" App
# CORA# Sunshine laws# Douglas County School District# Douglas County School Board# Douglas County board of educat

This is original content from NewsBreak’s Creator Program. Join today to publish and share your own content.

Comments / 0

Published by

I tell the stories of Douglas County school district administrators, staff, teachers, parents, children, and community members who call this county their home. I aim to inform the public on issues big or small related to the school district that matter to those with a vested interest.

Denver, CO
1K followers

More from Suzie Glassman

Douglas County, CO

FEC United Leader calls on DougCo members to reject leftist ideology in mission statement

Judi Reynolds, former Douglas County school board member and a leader of the FEC United Education Pillar, shared a call to action on social media for members to oppose potential changes to the Douglas County school district mission statement. The original post came from the FAIR (Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism) Douglas County Chapter.

Read full story
3 comments
Castle Rock, CO

Third student speaks about racial harassment at DougCo middle school

(Castle Rock, CO) Time and time again, Misty Martin said her son reported when other students called him offensive, racist names or harassed him for the color of his skin, only to have Castle Rock Middle School administrators say there wasn’t anything they could do.

Read full story
20 comments
Douglas County, CO

DougCo students outperform metro districts on state testing; some gaps remain

(Castle Rock, CO) State test results released this week reveal a more significant percentage of Douglas County students met or exceeded expectations on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) than any of their closest neighbors, including Denver Public Schools, the Jefferson County School District, and the Cherry Creek School District.

Read full story
Castle Rock, CO

Judge appointed in DougCo schools racial discrimination case

(Castle Rock, CO) Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews, who President Joe Biden nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado this February, will hear the case of four students of color who allege the Douglas County School District did little to quell the racist hate speech they faced while attending DougCo schools.

Read full story
Castle Rock, CO

Facebook group aims to help DougCo teachers fill their wishlists

(Castle Rock, CO) A local Facebook group called Retain DCSD Teachers hopes to use the kindness and generosity of strangers to provide DougCo teachers with classroom items they might not otherwise afford.

Read full story
1 comments
Douglas County, CO

Public shows overwhelming support for DougCo schools funding initiatives

(Castle Rock, CO) DougCo students, teachers, principals, charter school administrators, parents, and community leaders stood up one after another to ask the school board to place a $66 million mill levy override (MLO) and $484 million bond on this year’s ballot, despite facing increased property taxes and high inflation.

Read full story
2 comments
Douglas County, CO

DougCo schools grapple with teacher shortage and bus challenges as school starts

(Castle Rock, CO) Students across Douglas County were among the first in the Denver metro area to return to school this week. Yet, many may find their teachers still need to be determined or their classes larger than usual.

Read full story
2 comments
Douglas County, CO

DougCo school leaders respond to discrimination lawsuit; district remains silent

(Castle Rock, CO) Days after four students of color filed a federal civil lawsuit against the Douglas County School District for failing to protect them from ridicule, harassment, hate speech, and threats of violence, the district has yet to issue a statement on the matter or respond to an email request for comment.

Read full story
8 comments
Douglas County, CO

DougCo schools celebrates new, innovative school openings

(Castle Rock, CO) Less than a week before DougCo schools welcome students to their halls, the district celebrated the opening of its Legacy and Venture Academy of Leadership and Entrepreneurship (VALE) campuses this week.

Read full story
1 comments
Castle Rock, CO

Black, biracial students sue DougCo schools; allege widespread discrimination

(Castle Rock, CO) The families of four black or biracial students, including Jeramiah Ganzy, who stood before the school this past April and spoke about the hate speech he’d endured while attending Castle Rock Middle School, filed a lawsuit against the DougCo school district, school board, and middle school principal, John Veit, in federal court.

Read full story
77 comments
Douglas County, CO

Number of DougCo homeless students steadily declines with district support

(Castle Rock, CO) Nearly 500 Douglas County students lacked stable housing during the 2021-2022 school year (according to the most recent data). While that number has decreased in the county for the last decade, the ever-increasing cost of living could leave families struggling to make ends meet.

Read full story
3 comments
Douglas County, CO

DougCo schools face increased driver shortage as school year begins

(Castle Rock, CO) With temperatures at an all-time high, it feels like summer is just beginning. Yet, Douglas County students return to the classroom in less than two weeks. For many, a lingering question remains: how will they get there?

Read full story
2 comments
Douglas County, CO

Thousands of DougCo preschoolers take advantage of free school

(Castle Rock, CO) Thousands of DougCo preschoolers will take advantage of Colorado’s new universal preschool program granting 10 to 30 hours of free tuition each week as schools open next month.

Read full story
1 comments
Colorado State

DougCo schools undecided on free mental health screenings

(Castle Rock, CO) Last month, Gov. Jared Polis signed the School Mental Health Assessment law allowing all Colorado middle and high school students to receive free mental health evaluations similar to how schools provide annual hearing and vision screenings.

Read full story
4 comments
Castle Rock, CO

Free lunches for DougCo students come with one caveat

(Castle Rock, CO) Next month, students returning to DougCo schools won’t have to pay for lunch thanks to the Healthy School Meals for All Program that taxpayers overwhelmingly approved last November.

Read full story
20 comments
Parker, CO

Nonpartisan DougCo school board race shapes up to be anything but

UPDATE: Maria Sumnicht has lived in Parker for the last year and works remotely for a technology company based in New York City. She says she looks forward to the process of running as a candidate for the District F school board position.

Read full story
2 comments
Castle Rock, CO

DougCo annual school supply drive underway

(Castle Rock, CO) The Foundation for Douglas County Schools, a nonprofit that develops private resources to support the district’s students and schools, is conducting its 13th annual Lend-A-Hand school supply drive to collect, purchase, assemble, and distribute backpacks to needy students.

Read full story
1 comments
Denver, CO

Denver ruling impacts DougCo students needing special services

(Castle Rock, CO) When Colorado ruled earlier this year that Denver Public Schools failed to provide speech services to more than 1,000 students, denying them a free and appropriate public education, the state clearly said that staffing shortages don’t excuse a district from its obligations under federal disability law.

Read full story
1 comments

Long-time DougCo schools reading program hurts some children

(Castle Rock, CO) A federally-funded study published earlier this year found that first-grade students who received an intensive one-on-one tutoring program called Reading Recovery scored lower (about one-half to one grade) on state reading tests in third and fourth grade than those who never received the intervention.

Read full story
2 comments
Castle Rock, CO

DougCo schools building needs through 2028 hit $1 billion price tag

(Castle Rock, CO) For the first time in the DougCo school district’s 65-year history, projected estimates for new construction needs, facility reinvestment, safety and security, information technology, athletics, and more could reach $1 billion for the next five years.

Read full story
2 comments

Comments / 0

Community Policy