By Shannon Lukens.
A Complaint and Demand for Jury has been filed in U.S. District Court against the Steamboat Springs School District, Superintendent Celine Wicks, and five current and former staff members. It has to do with special needs students at the high school, saying there was an environment there that “allows its staff to discriminate against, verbally abuse, and inflict physical harm upon the most defenseless members of our society – disabled and non-verbal children.”
It’s a 56-page document. The attorney for the plaintiff is Jessica Breuer of BurgSimpson out of Denver.
The next steps are written discovery and depositions.
Steamboat Springs School District sent the following statement Wednesday morning:
“The Steamboat Springs School District is committed to providing equal opportunities for all individuals in District programs and to providing a safe learning environment for all students. We are aware of the allegations contained in a complaint filed. While we do not agree with many of the allegations and characterizations it contains, we cannot discuss those in detail at this time due to the active litigation.
For more than 70 years, we have served the children of Steamboat Springs, a responsibility we take very seriously. We are proud of our accomplishments and remain dedicated to continuous learning and improvement, always seeking opportunities to do better. That is our ongoing commitment to our students and their families.”
Specifics are given in the complaint for each student involved. One specific incident involved Sylvia Rawlings, who pled guilty to an incident Jan. 31, 2023, at the high school, where she was working as a paraprofessional. The Arrest Warrant said that Rawlings repeatedly spun a disabled and nonverbal student out of control, when the student was in their wheelchair. Then it said that Rawlings pushed the student in the wheelchair across the gym floor until the student fell out of the chair and hit their head. The student was taken to the hospital. All of it was on video surveillance in the high school gym.
In documents obtained by Steamboat Radio News, it says co-workers had reported racial comments made by Rawlings and they then reported other incidents of concern.
Rawlings resigned from the district.
At the sentencing, Rawlings was given 18 months of supervised probation, and 20 hours of community service, and no jail time.
More on the Story — Complaint and a Demand for Jury trial has been filed against Steamboat Springs School District
May 22, 2023 — Rawlings sentenced to incident when she was a paraprofessional at SSHS
The Steamboat Springs School District announced Wednesday that it has been recognized with an “Accredited with Distinction” rating from the Colorado Department of Education. It’s the highest accreditation a district can receive I the state, with only 17 districts across Colorado receiving the honor.
Steamboat Springs School District Recognized as “Accredited With Distinction” by CDE
Routt County Commissioners have a combined meeting with the Town of Yampa. That’s at 6 p.m. Thursday. The meeting is to discuss the Regional Transportation Authority, a proposed countywide lodging tax and how it would affect Yampa, and updates on the response efforts with the recent Crosho Fire. Agenda
Lupita Hathaway is retiring from Colorado Mountain College after having taught Spanish and ESL classes for 80 semesters, throughout 31 years. Lupita’s total teaching career spanned 44 years in Mexico, the United States, and China. There is a retirement party for Lupita at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, in the Eagle’s Nest at the CMC Steamboat campus.
Steamboat OktoberWest is Sept. 5-6. This year’s event is bringing back crowd favorites like the beef cookoff, beer garden, and plenty of family-friendly activities. On Friday, Sept. 5, the Young Professionals Network will host the Friday Beer Stroll at participating businesses downtown and on Sept. 6, the Steamboat Springs Chamber, Steamboat Mountain Village, and Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation will host the beer garden and vendor market, presented by Resort Group, at the base of Steamboat Resort.
Tickets range from $35 for the beer stroll (advanced ticket) to $250, depending on how you’d like to celebrate. Explore various ticket options and choose your OktoberWest experience now here: https://www.steamboatchamber.com/events/annual-events/steamboat-oktoberwest/
The following businesses will be participating –
Beer Vendors:
- Mythology Distillery
- Storm Peak Brewing
- Crystal Springs Brewing
- Horse & Dragon Brewing
- Brewery Rickoli
- Sangria de Las Montanas
- Konstruct Brewing
- 4 Noses Brewing
- Mountain Tap Brewery
- Loveland Aleworks
Beef Cookoff Competitors:
- E3 Lounge
- Laundry
- Besame
- Saddles
- Routtie’s
- Café Diva
- Primrose
Sponsors of the event: Replenish IV Therapies, One Steamboat Place, Wild Horse Refuge, The Home Ranch, Lucchese Bootmaker, The Timber Axe Throwing Lounge, and State Farm for supporting the Steamboat Springs Chamber as they carry on this special Steamboat tradition.
The Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials continue today in Meeker, and run through Saturday. These are world-class dogs from all over the world, taking on the feistiest sheep in the west. Everyone is invited. Find out more at www.MeekerSheepDog.com or call 970-878-0111.
This is a big weekend in Hayden with the annual Ride the Cog Festival. It’s on Sunday and it’s touted as Routt County’s original gravel ride. The ride remembers Ferry Carpenter who was known to ride his bike to his office in Hayden in the early 1900s. the cog is the same “Gravel Grinder” route that Ferry used in 1913. It has a steep vertical and goes up for about three miles, with views of Elkhead Reservoir and Bears Ears Mountain.
The fun starts at 8 a.m. in Hayden Town Park at 229 S. 3rd Street. Different route distances are available and mountain bike clinics for all levels. There is also a kid zone and Kids Bike Parade. You can still sign up and volunteers are still needed. Learn more at RideTheCog.com
Schedule of Events — SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2025
- 7:30 a.m. Registration and Check-In at Hayden Town Park (3rd St.)
- 8 a.m. Gravel Grinder/ Combined Ride begins
- 9 a.m. Breezer Ride begins
- 9:30 a.m. Beginner Bike Clinic
- 10:30 a.m. Kids Zone Open
- 10:45 a.m. Intermediate Bike Clinic
- Noon Advanced Bike Clinic
- Noon Food Trucks/Vendors open
- 1-3 p.m. DJ Music and Beer Garden
ALL EVENTS MEET AT TOWN PARK 229 S 3rd St., Hayden CO
More on the Story — Ride the COG Historic Bike ride is Sunday in Hayden
The Steamboat Sailors Girls Volleyball team hosts Eagle Valley today with games getting going late this afternoon and Varsity set to play at 6:30 p.m. That’s in the gym at Steamboat Springs High School.
The Moffat County Girls team hosts North Fork this afternoon. The C Team starts at 5:30, followed by JV and then Varsity at 6:30 p.m. Again, that’s in Craig.