Fort Collins – The attorney for a former Brighton high school teacher accused of having a sexual encounter with a juvenile student said they are negotiating a plea deal with the district attorney.
Carrie McCandless, 30, a former teacher at the Brighton Charter High School, is accused of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, both Class IV felonies.
The charges stem from a field trip McCandless took last October with some students to a cabin in Estes Park. She is accused of fondling a 17-year-old male and with providing alcohol to the students, both of which she denies.
In a separate case that developed last month, McCandless was charged with violating the conditions of her bond for allegedly contacting the victim, another charge she denies.
Today at her preliminary hearing for the sex charge, her attorney said he would waive the preliminary hearings for both cases.
“We’re still completely investigating the case,” said attorney Michael Trent Trani. “And we’re in negotiations for a plea arrangement. An offer has been made (by the district attorney).”
Larimer County District Chief Judge James Hiatt said he would suspend both preliminary hearings and scheduled April 24 for either a settlement hearing or a status conference on both cases, depending on how negotiations progress.
McCandless, who appeared in court with her husband, Chris, the principal of the Brighton Charter High School, left the courthouse without commenting. She remains free on $25,000 bond.
