The former school board president of the Brighton Charter School said his diligence during his inquiry into allegations that a teacher had sexual contact with a student has been misinterpreted by authorities.
David Mundy Sr., who resigned last week from the school board, faces a felony charge of tampering with a witness or victim and a misdemeanor charge of failure to report child abuse or neglect.
The charges stem from a criminal case against a former Brighton Charter teacher, Carrie McCandless, who is accused of having sexual contact with one of her students during an overnight field trip near Estes Park on Oct. 28.
Two days after the outing, Mundy was called to the school by principal Chris McCandless, Carrie McCandless’ husband, about an “emergency,” according to an affidavit released this week.
Carrie McCandless told Mundy that the student, a senior, kissed and hugged her but she backed off and told him it was inappropriate, the affidavit in her case said.
Authorities didn’t find out about the allegations against McCandless until Nov. 2, when a 9News reporter, acting on a tip, called police.
Mundy said Wednesday that he didn’t go to authorities right away, based in part on advice from the school’s attorney, William Bethke, who could not be reached for comment.
Carrie McCandless also couldn’t be reached, and Mundy declined to discuss his or her case in detail.
“I don’t believe I can at this point in time because I don’t want to interfere,” he said.
According to the McCandless arrest affidavit, the teenager and former teacher spent 45 minutes alone in a car “making out” in front of a big-box retail store the day before they left for Estes Park.
During the trip, some students drank alcohol, including Jack Daniels, which McCandless, 29, brought along, according to the affidavit. She was the lone chaperone.
The teenage victim told investigators he “made out” with McCandless after other students had gone to sleep. He told police that he never had sex with the teacher and said the only time touching “below the belt” occurred was at the cabin, according to the affidavit, released this week.
A friend of the victim told investigators: “It was obvious to everyone what was going on,” the affidavit stated.
Witnesses also told investigators that the student and McCandless flirted and had exchanged notes before the trip, including 76 text messages in one day in early October.
Mundy said many details in the affidavit were new to him.
“I don’t know everything that they are referring to there,” he said.
“Some of that stuff in there, I just don’t know about.”
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
