Colorado school where man lunged at child in attempted kidnapping to get new principal
The school in Colorado where a suspect lunged at a child on the schoolyard in what police believe is an attempted kidnapping has named an interim principal until a new principal can be named for the 2024-2025 school year. Solomon Galligan, 33, has been charged with one count of attempted kidnapping and remains in custody at the Arapahoe County Jail on $25,000.
Black Forest Hills Elementary has named Chuck Puga, the former principal of Smoky Hill High School, as acting principal at the elementary school through the end of the school year. The district will name a new principal for Black Forest Hills for the 2024-2025 school year in "the coming weeks."
According to a statement from Cherry Creek School District: "At this point in our investigation, we have decided to make an administrative change at Black Forest Hills and have appointed an acting principal to serve in the final month. We are making this change as part of our commitment to ensure a safe and positive end of the school year."
Surveillance footage shows a person police say was Solomon Galligan walking onto school property, approaching students and lunging at a child before falling down. Children are later seen running from the area toward teachers' assistants off-screen.
In the statement sent to families on Friday, there was no mention of Amanda Replogle, who was the principal at Black Forest Hills Elementary when the incident happened.
Parents of students at the elementary school were outraged at the initial response from the school and after watching the security video, were upset at the amount of time it took school staff to take action. At the time, the Cherry Creek School District said the principal as well as district leadership had met with families on multiple occasions to answer their questions. The district said they're committed to keeping students safe.
Below is the letter that was sent out to families:
Dear Black Forest Hills Elementary Community,
I am writing to inform you that Chuck Puga will serve as acting principal at Black Forest Hills Elementary through the end of this school year. Mr. Puga is the former principal of Smoky Hill High School and a well-respected, longtime administrator in Cherry Creek Schools. He will be assisted by Midge Eidson, a former longtime elementary principal in CCSD, who will serve as assistant principal through the end of the year. Cyndi Burdick, also a former principal in CCSD who has been supporting Black Forest Hills as assistant principal since January, will also be at the school through the end of the year.
The district will name a new principal for Black Forest Hills for the 2024-25 school year. We will announce the new school leader in the coming weeks.
The Human Resources investigation into the April 19 incident is in the final stages. The information obtained through this investigation has led us to decide that we need to make an administrative change at Black Forest Hills. We are making that change now so that we can move forward with the final weeks of the school year in a positive and productive way.
CCSD is committed to ensuring that all students and staff at Black Forest Hills feel safe and supported when at school. As always, the school's mental health team is available to support students who are struggling. Please reach out to the school if you would like to talk to a member of the mental health team about support for your child.
I also want to emphasize actions we have taken to reinforce security at Black Forest Hills Elementary:
• District security has worked with Black Forest Hills staff to review all security protocols, including the district's Standard Response Protocol and criteria for when to call a SECURE status.
• District security worked with paraprofessionals (TAs) to reconfigure supervision at recess to improve line of sight. Students will be kept closer to school and not allowed to be on the field near the fence and public sidewalk.
• There will be additional security and police patrols in the area through the end of this school year and increased presence of district security coordinators at the school.
• We have added administrative support for the school and are working collaboratively to define safety needs of the community.
• We have prioritized the needs of students through mental health resources and alternative options for indoor recess.
• There will be additional security at all outdoor end-of-year events at the school.
• The school has reinstated the Watchdog Dads/Moms group to provide additional support to the school community.
Safety is a year-round priority in CCSD and we conduct trainings and review protocols throughout the year. The Superintendent has taken the additional step of meeting with all principals last week and reminding them to remain vigilant in safety protocols through the end of the school year. We are also taking steps at the district level to reinforce existing safety protocols by reviewing:
• Incident command structures
• When to call SECURE or HOLD status
• School Safety Team roles and responsibilities
• Planning evidence-based training exercises and professional development for all staff before the start of next school year
We look forward to a safe and positive final month of school for our Black Forest Hills community, where students can focus on their learning and celebrate each other's successes. Thank you for your partnership in keeping Black Forest Hills safe.
Sincerely,
Derek Mullner
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Operations
