A teacher at a charter school in Brighton has been arrested on charges that he sexually assaulted a child. Brighton police said Ralph Kelly, 34, of Denver was arrested Thursday morning. Kelly, a teacher at Brighton Collegiate High School, is accused of assaulting a student at the school this month, police said.
Kelly is from Ireland, 9News reported, and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has asked that he stay in custody while ICE officials investigate his background.
The school put him on administrative leave with pay, 9News reported, and said in a statement: “Prior to today the school’s staff had no reason to believe that Mr. Kelly had engaged in any wrongdoing. In particular, prior to today no one has made any allegations against Mr. Kelly to any staff member, board member, or any other person associated with the school.”
The school was called the Brighton Charter High School when teacher Carrie McCandless was accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. She pleaded guilty in April to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful sexual contact. She served a 45-day sentence.
