‘Complete crickets’: Colorado parents confront district over silence in chief’s criminal investigation, firing
After a Colorado public schools chief of staff was fired as part of a criminal investigation, parents are demanding accountability from a district refusing to provide answers.
“It’s just so…

After a Colorado public schools chief of staff was fired as part of a criminal investigation, parents are demanding accountability from a district refusing to provide answers.
“It’s just so confusing,” parent Trevor Flint told CBS News. “It’s created this whole huge lack of trust in Jefferson County.”
The Jefferson County Public Schools district near Golden has confirmed former Chief of Staff David Weiss was fired Dec. 19 after a school board meeting, but is refusing to provide more information, despite repeated community requests.
“At the direction of Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, we cannot share any further details at this time due to their open investigation,” a district spokesperson told CBS.
Samantha Robb finds the district’s approach problematic. She had been considering sending her child to the district’s schools.
“If something happened that caused immediate termination, obviously it’s serious,” she said. “And obviously the public and the parents have a right to know.”
‘Scared as a parent right now’
Citing remarks by parent Joe Jameson, CBS reports the news comes after “months of multiple instances involving teachers being arrested for sexual assault involving students.”
“I’m scared as a parent right now,” the parent said.
A Facebook group called Jeffco Kids First with more than 7,000 members has submitted an open letter to superintendent Tracy Dorland.
“The silence on this abrupt firing, as well as multiple reported crimes against children that have gone insufficiently addressed, have set a pattern of mismanagement that has eroded public trust,” the letter reads.
“Silence has repeatedly failed as a strategy, compounding public distrust and signaling a lack of accountability. … In the court of public opinion, you are failing the very community you were appointed to serve.”
By providing information to media outlets and on social media – but not to parents – the district is sending mixed messages in its communication efforts, parents argue.
“At the end of the day a statement would go a long way to ease parent’s minds,” Jameson said.
“It’s been complete crickets. We’ve reached out and we’ve reached out to various members within the school district, and not a word has come out of them.”