District 20 middle school employee accused of sexually assaulting a child, placed on leave

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A police investigation is underway after an Academy District 20 staff member at a middle school was charged with crimes related to sexual assault of a child.

According to a press release from, the district learned on Monday, Aug. 28 that a staff member had been arrested. The suspect, identified as Jose Garcia, is a custodian at Mountain Ridge Middle School and has worked in district schools since 2019.

Garcia was placed on leave and cannot have contact with children at this time. A notification of his arrest was sent to the parents of students enrolled at Mountain Ridge Middle School.

According to D20, the criminal offenses that Garcia is charged with include the violation of C.R.S. § 18-3-405.3(1),(2). According to court documents obtained by KRDO, Garcia faces three counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.

When asked for comment about this case, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said that while this is a serious matter, at this time, the investigation has not shown that any children at the school were victims, and the alleged crimes did not occur on school property. The suspect is still charged with these crimes and is under active criminal investigation.

The district said anyone with information to report about Garcia is asked to contact Rich Payne, Director for Security, at 719-243-1200 or richard.payne@asd20.org.

KRDO has reached out to the Colorado Springs Police Department for more information.