Top 10 local stories of 2021: No. 9 -- Fairview students protest handling of sexual assault complaints

Daily Camera - 12/23/2021

Dec. 23—A majority of the student population from Fairview High participated in a walkout in September to bring attention to the administration's handling of reports of sexual assault and harassment.

Students conducted a walkout April 9 for similar issues, but said in September that not enough had changed and district leaders needed to take action. Students have described the school as having a "toxic environment" around sexual violence.

Their demands included a public apology from Fairview's administration for its lack of action to address sexual assault and harassment, resources such as therapy as well as continued education on assault, a continued effort to provide long-lasting sexual violence prevention services districtwide, open conversations and dialogue between the student body and administration, and comprehensive long-term prevention programs.

Terry Gillach, a retired Boulder Valley principal, has been serving as the interim principal while the school district investigated allegations made in a lawsuit that involve Fairview Principal Don Stensrud, who was on paid administrative leave. The school district announced on Dec. 16 that Stensrud would retire effective Dec. 31, and Gillach would finish out the year as interim principal.

The lawsuit, first reported by The Denver Post, was filed against Stensrud and the school district. The suit alleges that Fairview and Stensrud failed to investigate rape claims against a student athlete and "turned a blind eye to rampant sexual harassment and abuse." Boulder police also investigated Stensrud for potentially obstructing the police's sexual assault investigation involving another athlete, the school's star quarterback, in 2019, according to records obtained by The Denver Post.

In that case, former Fairview student Aidan Atkinson was found not guilty on two counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault and two counts of unlawful sexual assault following a trial in April related to allegations of sexual misconduct on a party bus in 2018.

But there were two remaining counts of unlawful sexual contact on which the jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdict, while several remaining counts related to an allegation of sexual exploitation against a different girl were set for a separate trial.

In May, Atkinson pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and received probation to resolve the remaining counts against him.

This fall, Boulder Valley hired a full time Title IX coordinator, one of the requests from the BVSD Survivors group, which was founded by two former Fairview students who are now in college and have continued to advocate for changes. The district also accepted applications for a new Title IX Advisory Council that's expected to focus on sexual violence prevention.

In the spring, the district is planning "a comprehensive, national search" for a new Fairview principal to include input from staff, students and community members.

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