Districtwide

 Parent  Letter  

Subject  Line:  Important  information  for  parents  from  Superintendent  Scott  Siegfried  
 
Dear  Cherry  Creek  Schools  Parents  and  Guardians:    
 
I  believe  it  is  important  to  keep  parents  and  guardians  informed  when  there  is  a  major  
development  in  the  district  that  impacts  our  community.  I  also  want  to  make  sure  district  
parents  and  guardians  learn  of  such  developments  before  they  are  covered  by  the  news  media.    
 
To  that  end,  I  want  to  share  with  you  some  important  information.    Through  a  mediator,  the  
district  has  reached  a  total  settlement  with  the  victims  of  Brian  Vasquez,  former  teacher  at  
Prairie  Middle  School,  for  the  amount  of  $11.5  million.    
 
We  acknowledge  that  no  amount  of  money  can  right  the  wrongs  committed  against  these  
students  by  Mr.  Vasquez.  No  student  should  ever  suffer  the  injury  and  loss  of  innocence  that  
these  young  women  suffered  as  a  result  of  the  reprehensible  actions  of  Mr.  Vasquez.  The  
district  is  committed  to  doing  right  by  these  young  women  and  their  families  and  hopes  this  
settlement  brings  some  degree  of  closure  so  that  they  can  move  on  with  their  lives  and  
continue  the  healing  process.    
 
I  also  want  you  to  know  that  we  are  constantly  working  to  evaluate  and  strengthen  our  safety  
and  security  procedures.  Specifically:    
 
• We  established  a  task  force  that  reviewed  our  practices  and  procedures,  
• We  strengthened  our  mandatory  reporting  protocol,  
• We  trained  all  of  our  more  than  9,000  employees  in  school  safety  strategies,  including  
mandatory  reporting  and  how  to  identify  signs  of  abuse,  
• We  worked  closely  with  the  District  Attorney’s  Office  and  Department  of  Human  
Services  to  shape  new  protocols  and  training  procedures,  
• We  implemented  Sungate  and  Blue  Bench  pilot  programs,  which  are  designed  to  give  
students  and  their  parents  skills  in  recognizing  and  responding  to  inappropriate  
situations,    
• We  are  also  working  to  educate  all  of  our  students  about  how  to  identify  dangerous  
behavior  and  the  importance  of  reporting  to  a  trusted  adult.  
There  is  absolutely  no  higher  priority  in  the  Cherry  Creek  School  District  than  the  safety  and  
wellbeing  of  our  students.  

Sincerely,  
Scott  A.  Siegfried,  Ph.D.  
Superintendent  of  Schools