A Denver Public Schools principal charged with failing to report child abuse at her school pleaded not guilty this morning in Denver County court.
Nicole Veltze, 37, who was principal at Skinner Middle School, is accused of not properly notifying authorities regarding an incident of child abuse at her school. Her trial date has been set for June 16 and a motion hearing is scheduled for April 25.
Veltze removed herself as principal and now works in district administration.
The incident at her school that occurred in December has caused consternation within the district, because Veltze has maintained that she was following district policy about when and how to report incidents. The district supports Veltze.
The Skinner Middle School case involved two juvenile boys who allegedly inappropriately touched a girl. Veltze investigated the incident and suspended the boys. The girl’s parent, however, notified police and the District Attorney’s office determined Veltze had broken state law.
Officials at Denver Department of Human Services say Veltze’s case has resulted in a surge of referrals from schools to the DHS child-abuse hotline, jumping from 162 in January to 251 in February, amounting to a 55 percent increase.
