Roots in a Colorado Hiring Blunder (Image Credits: Pixabay)
A fresh civil complaint against a high-end Summerlin private school has dredged up a 2021 sexual abuse case from its Colorado campus, painting a picture of repeated institutional shortcomings in safeguarding students.[1]
Roots in a Colorado Hiring Blunder
Officials at the Alexander Dawson School’s Colorado location hired Da’Jon Tyrik James as a vocal music teacher despite recent accusations of sexual misconduct at a California private school.[1] During the 2020-21 school year, James allegedly assaulted at least four female students, including placing his hand between one girl’s breasts under the pretense of assessing her breathing and engaging in other inappropriate physical contacts on school grounds.[1]
The Boulder Sheriff’s Office arrested the then-27-year-old James on charges of sex assault on a child by one in a position of trust and unlawful sexual contact. Parents who confronted school leaders received promises that James, who resigned, would have no further contact with students. Yet a lawsuit filed that year by attorney Aaron Belzer accused the institution of minimizing the incidents as a “grey area” for reporting and failing to promptly notify authorities. Belzer declared, “Dawson has a pattern and practice of covering up allegations of sexual misconduct by faculty and students.”[1] The case eventually settled for an undisclosed sum.[1]
The Costa Rica Assault That Sparked Renewed Scrutiny
Last April, during an eighth-grade field trip to Costa Rica, a group of boys at the Summerlin campus allegedly pinned down a 14-year-old classmate identified as “Jack Doe,” penetrated him with objects including a flute, and recorded the attack on video.[2][1] One perpetrator, Vaughn Griffith, now 15, faces adult criminal charges after the footage surfaced in his Snapchat gallery; another boy’s case remains in family court with pushes for adult prosecution.[2]
Jack Doe’s parents had repeatedly flagged escalating bullying by the same group to school staff starting in 2020, but officials dismissed complaints or blamed the victim, according to the suit. Days before the trip, another student reported threats from the boys, yet teachers took no disciplinary steps. The complaint, filed last week in Clark County District Court by attorney J. Randall Jones, holds the school, its foundation, principal Roxanne Stansbury, and trip chaperones accountable for negligence.[1]
Claims of Systemic Neglect Link the Cases
The new filing explicitly cites the Colorado scandal to argue a persistent pattern of negligent hiring, supervision, and response to sexual misconduct.[1] It alleges the Summerlin campus “lacked the necessary and proper training” to handle sexual harassment and assault against students. Jones noted in the complaint that despite multiple reports, “Dawson either downplayed, ignored or dismissed his complaints, or even suggested he was to blame, and no disciplinary action was taken.”[1]
- Failure to act on prior bullying and harassment reports spanning years.
- Ignoring a separate pre-trip warning about the perpetrators’ sexual conduct.
- Downplaying risks as “boys being boys” despite school policies promising protection.
- Post-assault continuation of abuse upon return to Nevada.
Defendants include the Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain LLC, where annual tuition reaches $32,500.[1]
School Remains Silent Amid Legal Battles
The institution, which traces its origins to a 1970 Colorado founding and expanded to Las Vegas in 2000, has not commented on the lawsuits.[1] Principal Stansbury previously addressed the community on the Costa Rica incident, confirming cooperation with the Metropolitan Police Department. Criminal proceedings against Griffith advance separately, complicated by the international location but bolstered by Nevada-stored digital evidence.[3]
For more details, see the original reporting from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.[1]
Key Takeaways
- A 2021 Colorado teacher assault case highlights early red flags in hiring practices.
- Nevada suit alleges ignored bullying led to a brutal 2025 group assault abroad.
- Both complaints point to inadequate training and a culture of minimization.
These interconnected allegations raise tough questions about accountability at elite private institutions trusted with children’s safety. What steps should schools take to break such patterns? Share your thoughts in the comments.
