Brush school admin placed on leave
Police investigating student sexting discover collected child porn images; no arrests thus far
At 9:24 a.m. on Thursday, May 12, the Brush Police Department sent out a press release regarding an ongoing investigation into a male member of the Brush School District Re2J administrative staff for the possession of child pornography.
According to the press release, the case started with an investigation into sexting among students. The BPD investigators found that the staff member had been involved with the district’s in-house investigation, and had “unlawfully collected pornographic images of juveniles.”
Brush Police Chief Derek Bos reported that he did not have much information besides that which was included in the press release. However, he noted that no arrests have been made at this time since the investigation is ongoing. Bos anticipates having more information within the next week or two, including whether or not charges will be pursued.
Bos said he is not aware of the intent of the administrator, though the staff member was involved in the aforementioned sexting investigation.
“I don’t know what the intent was. The person involved was doing sexting investigation for the school, so they were involved in that piece of it. As far as malicious intent, I think we’re too early to speak to that,” Bos said. “I don’t think there’s any threat to students. I’m not worried about an ongoing safety concern with the kids. I think we’re definitely being proactive in that arena, so I’m not concerned for kids’ safety at this point.”
Bos confirmed that this investigation does not involve staff at Thomson Primary School or Beaver Valley Elementary School.
Superintendent Dr. Bill Wilson gave a statement,
as well, on the District’s behalf.
He said, “The Brush School District continues to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and cannot comment further at this time.”
As of the afternoon of Wednesday, May 11, the administrative staff member has been placed on leave.
The BPD release thanked the district for its cooperation with the investigation.
“Our combined focus is the safety and wellbeing of the youth in our community and together we want to make it clear that the
Brush School District, along with the Brush
Police Department, does not condone these actions,” it said.
It also cited the development of a School Resource Officer program, which assigns a police officer to work full time in the Brush Schools, as evidence of the focus on students’ safety.
“Both the BSD and the BPD value this partnership; this investigation is just one example of the many great things we do together to protect and educate the youth of our community,” the BPD release states.
The department also issued a warning about teen sexting in its release: “While sexting has gained in popularity among today’s youth, it is unhealthy, and the aftermath can be challenging for our young people to cope with. What may begin as consensual electronic dialog often leads to non-consensual sharing of images; each time these images are viewed, our youth are re-victimized. Our hearts are broken when we learn of our young people being victimized through these senseless actions.”
The release urged parents to talk to teens and tweens about the dangers of sexting and the potential damage it can cause. The department has free resources to help guide discussions between parents and their children on the subject.
“The Police Department and the School District are grateful for the support of the community as we endeavor to protect and serve the victims of this heinous crime,” the release said.
The department asked that anyone with information that may benefit the investigation to email tips@brushpolice.org or call 970-842-5074 to speak with an officer.