Colorado parents in Jefferson County raise questions about student safety audit

Parents in Colorado's Jefferson County are raising serious questions about a student safety audit that was never shared with them. Their concerns are based on the results of that audit and why it was not made public.

"I didn't even know it existed, and I don't think anyone knew that a safety audit was done," said parent Jeremy Garst.

Garst shared his concerns Monday night. He questioned what actions the board and district took after receiving the audit and why the public was not informed.

A records request by parent group Jeffco Kids First uncovered the third-party audit, which was conducted last spring as part of a pilot program. Student safety company Gaggle examined district-managed technology, including Chromebooks and Google accounts, to identify potential student safety risks.

From February 2025 to April 2025, the audit found thousands of incidents. Most were flagged for questionable content such as cyberbullying, drug use or sexual content. The audit also identified 153 imminent threats, including a hit list with 15 names on it.

Garst questioned whether board members knew about the report and whether the district shared it with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office during its investigation into the shooting at Evergreen High School last September.

Garst, whose child attends Conifer High School, formed the Rocky Mountain Conservative Alliance after the shooting. His organization has since pushed for stronger safety and security measures in schools. He is also questioning why the district received the results in August but did not share them publicly.

"This ties directly into our concerns with Jeffco Public Schools as a whole," Garst said.

In an email to CBS Colorado, a spokesperson for Gaggle said what the company found in Jefferson County "was serious and warranted prompt attention."

In response, a district spokesperson said much of what was found was already known through existing safety systems and that any new information was appropriately followed up on, including conducting threat assessments when warranted.

The district's statement did not explain why the audit was never shared publicly. CBS Colorado asked for that information and has not yet received a response.

Jeffco Public Schools released the following statement Monday:

We want to acknowledge that information related to student digital safety and monitoring was referenced during public comment this evening.
The findings shared tonight were produced by a company called Gaggle, with which the district conducted a no-cost pilot last spring. The district's review found that the vast majority of information identified by Gaggle was already known through existing safety systems and reporting pathways, including Securely-a similar system-and Safe2Tell. Any new information was appropriately followed up on, including conducting threat assessments when warranted.
When concerning online activity is flagged by the system, schools follow established processes to assess the situation, provide appropriate support, and involve families. Depending on the nature of the concern, that may include wellness checks, threat assessment protocols, student support interventions, disciplinary processes, safety planning, or coordination with parents and guardians.
Each safety platform operates somewhat differently, and no single tool functions as a standalone solution. In Jeffco, we utilize multiple systems and reporting pathways designed to support student safety and well-being, including online and email monitoring tools as well as community reporting systems such as Safe2Tell.
Student safety remains our highest priority, and we will continue to evaluate and strengthen the systems and supports that help us respond to concerns and support students effectively.

JeffCo sent an updated statement on Wednesday, adding:

Gaggle was contractually required to delete sensitive student data after sharing findings with the district. The district received confirmation that the data was deleted in October of 2025, and yet the report was never deleted as part of that deletion activity. It appears the full data was not deleted as required. The district is taking immediate action regarding this potential data privacy violation.