Parents of Mountain Vista High School students learned today that a former volleyball coach let go in January has since been arrested and pleaded guilty to sex assault on a child.
The Douglas County School District said they learned of the arrest and guilty plea of Arthur Bruce Harrison from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation only within the last few days, which had discovered his former employment there, said district spokesman Randy Barber.
The school district notified parents to a disclosure rule on teacher arrests enacted by the state school board last spring.
Harrison, 43, was fired in January for reasons that had nothing to do with criminal activity, according to the school district.
He was arrested on March 25 by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. The date of the offense in court records is November 2008.
Public records indicate Harrison lived in the 5600 block of South Wadley Court from 2006 to November 2008, moved to Bailey and has has since relocated to rural Culpepper, Va.
He pleaded guilty in August to sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. He was sentenced to two years of work-release, 10 years of probation and status as a sex offender.
Harrison had worked for the Douglas County School District since August 2005.
The school district said investigators have indicated the sex assault appears to be an isolated case, but anyone with information can call Investigator Matt Clark at 303-271-5640.
The State Board of Education adopted the notification rule in April, requiring school districts to notify students’ parents when employees are arrested or charged with any felonies or misdemeanors involving sexual assault, child abuse, indecent exposure and most drug arrests.
The disclosure rule has been challenged by the Colorado Education Association — the state teachers union– which says the new rule is vague and arbitrary, while challenging the state school board’s authority to mandate such a policy.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
