Their claims have been denied. Their appeals have led to more frustration. And the process for holding staff accountable is often unclear.
A growing group of BVSD parents says they’ve struggled to get meaningful responses after reporting what they believe to be bullying and discrimination against their children.
Frustrated by a system they see as prioritizing the district’s interests — at times focusing on minimizing issues or refuting claims rather than resolving them — they’re joining forces, seeking legal counsel and advocating for change.
“We need to take our power back and let them know that if you do anything to me or my kid, that we are going to tell everyone,” said Crystal Chinn, who has gathered a group of parents unhappy with the district’s handling of complaints.
On a recent Friday, they met at the Broomfield Rec Center, pulling chairs into a circle in a small meeting room. For over an hour, parents shared their stories. Common themes emerged — concerns about whether staff properly documented incidents, questions about accountability, and doubts about whether filing official complaints leads to meaningful action.
BVSD has a policy for investigating complaints, with district-appointed staff members conducting internal reviews to determine whether policies were followed. Some parents say that structure can feel more focused on justifying past decisions than on ensuring full accountability.
According to state records, 82 complaints in BVSD resulted in disciplinary action during the 2023-24 school year, but the total number of complaints filed remains unclear. It is also unknown whether these represent 82 separate incidents or if some students or staff were disciplined multiple times. Without more transparency, parents say, it’s difficult to understand how often investigations lead to consequences.
And as federal oversight wanes — with recent layoffs affecting the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which investigates Title IX and discrimination claims — some parents believe public advocacy is their best option.
BVSD said it takes complaints seriously and works to ensure families feel heard.
In a statement, the district’s legal counsel, Kathleen Sullivan, outlined BVSD’s approach to handling concerns:
“BVSD continuously works to build and improve our systems and standard operating protocols to assure that all complaints received are directed to the appropriate school district officials to be investigated and addressed.
“Systems include collaboration across schools and departments, tracking of complaints, weekly debriefs, and ongoing training to identify and respond to areas for improvement.”
One family’s struggle for answers
Chinn never expected to be in this position. She said her daughter, Alaina, was repeatedly bullied at Community Montessori, which she believes led to serious health issues, including seizures. Her daughter lived in fear, she said, never knowing if the student who bullied her would appear on the playground or in the cafeteria.
According to emails reviewed by Boulder Reporting Lab, Chinn reported that a specific student continued making contact with her daughter despite being assigned an aide. She sought help from the district’s bullying prevention specialist, Tracie Altomare, who, according to Chinn, escalated the issue to her superiors.
But when Chinn was scheduled to meet with Neil Anderson, a BVSD executive overseeing the principal, she learned Altomare had been instructed not to attend, according to emails obtained by Boulder Reporting Lab. Chinn said she never heard from Altomare again.
The district investigated and concluded that staff followed proper procedures with her daughter, but, as Chinn put it, “unfortunately, it didn’t work.” Due to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) privacy laws, she said she was never informed of any disciplinary action taken against the student or the staff responsible for keeping them apart.
And while Chinn believed Altomare was meant to advocate for her family, BVSD said that is not her role.
“Tracie Altomare is the district’s bullying prevention specialist who supports our schools by overseeing a grant by the Colorado Department of Education. She is not a school-based advocate but an instructional expert who oversees prevention programs, school training, and develops guidance on prevention and response for the district,” Sullivan said.
After that meeting, Chinn filed a formal claim with the Office for Civil Rights. The case was opened in December. In January, BVSD asked for it to be dismissed. It remains indefinitely pending. OCR did not respond to questions about staff layoffs or their impact on pending cases.
Chinn expressed frustration in an email to her OCR attorney after discovering BVSD had requested dismissal.
“In my opinion, they had their chance to do the right thing and failed to,” she wrote. “The amount of work and time I’ve had to put in to fight for some level of accountability is ridiculous, and I don’t trust BVSD one bit.”
Chinn spent two years trying to help her daughter navigate bullying in first and second grade. Even after the student was moved to a different class, she saw little improvement. Ultimately, she realized the only way to protect her daughter was to transfer her to another school.
More parents speak out
Since sharing her story, Chinn said she has received messages from other parents who say they have faced similar challenges.
Sarah Perry wrote to the school board, saying she believes a vice principal treated her daughter unfairly after she defended friends who were called racial slurs. She never filed a formal complaint.
“I sat in a room with these administrators and had to listen to all the perceived ways my child was at fault, while the principal was unable to say anything negative about her employee or how he contributed to my daughter feeling unsafe in his classroom,” Perry wrote.
Another mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said her son was repeatedly called the N-word in elementary school, but school officials often downplayed her concerns.
“The principal would tell us, ‘Well you know, if it’s any consolation, the other kid didn’t mean it,’” she said.
BVSD maintains it strives to resolve issues.
“Our schools want to work with families to make sure that students feel comfortable and confident going to school,” Sullivan said. “BVSD engages in ongoing training and works in good faith with all families to achieve satisfactory resolution of concerns.”
Some parents said they struggled to obtain student records, which they believe would clarify how complaints were handled. One mother, who requested anonymity, said police were sent to her home after her son was accused of assault at school, but when she requested school records of the incident, she said none were available.
Rhae Birmingham said her daughter faced persistent bullying in middle school, which escalated into physical altercations in high school. In October, she attempted suicide on school grounds, Birmingham said. When reintegrating into school after her recovery, she requested student records. She said they contained only a single mention of an incident — far fewer than the family had documented.
“Of all the things — I think we’re in the 20s or 30s as far as things that have happened — there was only one report, just a small incident,” she said. “There’s no record of anything that happened to my kid.”.
District investigations and oversight
BVSD’s internal investigations are conducted by district-appointed investigators, and at least some focus primarily on whether district policies were followed, according to investigative outcome letters reviewed by Boulder Reporting Lab.
“All complaints and claims of discrimination are reviewed according to Board Policy AC and AC-R,” Sullivan said. “All other complaints are reviewed according to Board Policy KE and KE-R. Both sets of policies ensure that complaints are reviewed, investigated, and that an appropriate decision is made by the school or district leader.”
Even when the district finds wrongdoing, consequences can be minimal, some parents say.
Tangi Lancaster, whose son is Black and has special education needs, filed a discrimination complaint against Centaurus High School after he was denied access to a college fair field trip due to what a staff member described as “immature behavior,” she said. The district investigated and confirmed that discrimination had occurred, according to a letter documenting the findings. However, the only stated consequence was that the staff involved would be informed of the findings.
Lancaster brought her case to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which arranged mediation with BVSD a year after the incident. The district agreed to take steps to prevent similar incidents, according to the OCR settlement agreement reviewed by Boulder Reporting Lab.
Nearly a year after the agreement, Lancaster alleged, key parts of it — including staff training — had still not been implemented. BVSD did not specifically comment on this case, citing FERPA laws, which limit what it can disclose.
BVSD’s anti-bullying efforts show mixed results
BVSD has received about $840,000 in state grants since 2022 to implement an anti-bullying program, according to Adam Collins, bullying prevention manager at the Colorado Department of Education. Most schools have implemented curriculum, training and protocols tied to these grants, according to the district’s 2024 annual report filed with the state.
Data obtained by Boulder Reporting Lab suggests mixed results.
A 2024 bullying survey at Community Montessori found that 27% of students in grades 3-5 reported being bullied — the same as the previous year. At Flatirons Elementary, reports increased from 28% to 38%, while Eisenhower Elementary saw a decrease from 30% to 18%.
‘Taking action is scary’
For Chinn, fighting for change has come with unexpected realizations.
As a Japanese-American born and raised in Hawaii who moved to the mainland in 2015, she said she never thought of herself as a minority — until now. She believes growing up as part of the majority shaped her willingness to challenge authority, which she sees as a driving force behind her advocacy.
“Some think it’s safer to struggle in silence. Some start to minimize their experience and think it’s okay because taking action is scary,” she said. “I don’t understand this mindset. But it’s a pattern I’m seeing with minority families here.”
Chinn hopes bringing parents together will help more families navigate the system and find answers.
Good for them! High time and past. The “”systems”. Ha. Always set to make one give up and go away. With a threat if the bullied child fights back that They would be “ disciplined “. Three of mine went through that meat grinder. It’s been that way for at least 30 years
Bullying too often has long-lasting effects. Bullies remain bullies and their victims carry deep wounds. Adults must leave off the old notion that standing up to a bully makes a child stronger. It doesn’t. This means schools must give due attention when parents and children report a problem. They must work to ensure everyone sees that steps are being made on behalf of all involved. Anything less is neglect.
Simple and cheap solution. Restorative justice circles.
How do I get involved with this? Group/movement? Both of my boys have experienced bullying. My 17-year-old lost his life to Suicide as a senior at Boulder High School. My younger son is 15 and still attends for high school. Please let me know how I can get involved. Thank you!
So sorry to hear about your loss. You can email standupforalaina@gmail.com for information about the group.
I am a retired educator, mother and grandmother. This article doesn’t even reflect the number of students and families whom are affected by the inconsistent actions from the BVSB.
To say administration and the school district/BVSD followed all guidelines is not true! If ALL protocols and follow through were not followed 100% of the time or to say a staff member was told they did wrong and no retribution to correct the situation, then that’s an issue/liability.
Bullying stems from ignorance of a growing child, but the child needs to be corrected/nurtured by parents to teach correct behavior. Most parents have no skills or knowledge of correcting bad behaviors. They thinks bullying is okay, especially with the male figure of the household. I have seen this over and over through the years as a teacher and as I trained student teachers and new teachers in the classroom.
I have taught my students and my parents correct behavior n how tho make positive change in their child’s/children because they didn’t know how.
Administration and the school board not only need to prevent bullying through program/s and education but also to advocate the victims, especially when staff/administrators did the wrong thing or didn’t follow through.
Victims need to be listened to, protected and have a safe education. If parents don’t care or are the bullies themselves, victims need to have safe and protected options.
Get the entire story. Listen to and make sure all students are safe. Even one victim can tear down life, too many committed suicide, become a problem with in their own family and others have defended their safety to become bullies themselves! Did you know Hitler was bullied because he was small in statue and his ethnicity?!
Do the right thing and correct the mistake of injustices committed by so many levels in your schools, district and your state.