Rule To Inform Parents Of A Teachers’ Arrest On Hold

A Colorado Board of Education rule that requires school districts to inform parents when an employee is arrested is set to expire at the end of the school year.

The Parental Notification Rule was put into place in April.

It requires parents be notified about all felony arrests, drug crimes, violent crimes, criminal violations involving children and sex crimes.

The Legal Services Committee voted 5-5 along party lines to let the rule expire. Republicans voted in favor of the rule. Democrats voted against it.

As it stands now, the rule would expire in May.

KRDO Newschannel 13 spoke to Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, who is chairman of the Legal Services Committee.

He said this is solely a legal issue at this point. According to Morse, a nonpartisan group of legal advisers recommended that the committee let the rule expire because the Board of Education did not have the constitutional right to make such a rule.

Morse said that could change in the next legislative session that starts Jan. 11.

That is when a lawmaker could introduce a separate bill that would give the Board of Education the authority to create the rule.