An investigation conducted by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found that a Fort Collins high school sophomore was racially harassed by other students during the 2023-2024 school year, and a “preponderance of evidence” shows the school failed to respond appropriately.
The school in question, Liberty Common High School, is a charter school authorized by Poudre School District (PSD).
The investigation
Stephanie Watson Lewis filed the OCR complaint against both the school and PSD on Feb. 8, 2024, and the investigation was opened the following week.
The investigation was conducted under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits “discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs or activities operated by a recipient of federal financial assistance,” the document states.
Watson Lewis chose to send her oldest son to Liberty Common High School based on their academics and character education. Denver7 is not naming her son at the center of the investigation since he is a juvenile. He was a sophomore at the time of the harassment.