Colorado could outlaw sexual contact between state educators and adult students

DENVER (KRDO) -- While educators in Colorado currently may face criminal charges for having sexual contact or making sexual advances toward minor students, a new bill introduced Thursday would also punish teachers who have sexual contact with students aged 18 or older.

"Under current law, a secondary school teacher who has sexual contact with a student who is 18 years of age or older may not have committed a crime," states Senate Bill 20-059, introduced by Republicans Dennis Hisey and Colin Larson.

The bill says if an educator "subjects a student who is not his or her spouse to any sexual contact" it would be considered sexual assault on a student by an educator if that person works at the same school that the student attends.

If an educator is caught committing the offense, it would be a Class 3 or Class 4 felony under the bill's original text, depending on if it's a pattern or not.

According to the legislation, "consent by the student ... shall not constitute a defense to the offense."

It also says that if an educator and the student have a child together as a result of the sexual contact and the educator is convicted, the educator could lose parental rights to the child.

This would apply to any "person employed to instruct students in any school in the state; any person employed to administer, direct, or supervise the education instructional program of a school in the state; any person who is employed to provide health, welfare, or other support services to students in a school in the state; and any person who coaches students of a school in the state." It's not likely that this applies to employees at state universities or colleges.

The bill is currently under consideration in the Senate Judiciary and Appropriations committees