DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Nearly four years after Kendrick Castillo was killed inside STEM School Highlands Ranch, his parents are pushing for confidential information to be released.
The family learned that information after filing a lawsuit against the school, but they say they’ve been told they can’t share it publicly.
“The Castillos believe that what they have uncovered will shock the conscience of the public, and will force urgently needed school safety changes,” their attorney, Dan Caplis, wrote.
On Wednesday, the Castillo family and STEM School leadership will appear before a judge in Douglas County for a special hearing. Judge Christopher Cross will reportedly decide what information, if any, can be released.
‘Balancing act’ on school shooting documents
“I think that balancing act is really what Judge Cross is going to have to deal with,” said FOX31 legal analyst George Brauchler, who was a special prosecutor in the case against one of the shooters. “It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in the courtroom.”
A spokesperson for STEM released the following statement to FOX31, detailing the school’s concerns with releasing information:
Of the documents in question, the percentage that we are requesting to remain confidential is minimal in comparison. Over the last two years, there have been 25 depositions and roughly 25,000 pages of documents that have been collected and reviewed. A vast majority of the documents that were collected throughout both trials and through discovery of this current lawsuit, were made public already and heavily scrutinized. We are asking for a small percentage to remain confidential in order to protect our school and our community.
If released, the information contained in these documents would expose current safety and security practices and improvements that have been made each year since May 7. STEM’s position remains focused on holding confidential items related to the safety and security of our current and former staff, as well as our students, as a priority.“
STEM School Highlands Ranch
“The school district’s position is one of, ‘Listen, if we give up certain information, do we put ourselves at greater risk? Do we provide a playbook for some future evil-doer?'” Brauchler said. “I can see how it could be embarrassing for the school district, embarrassing for the STEM School itself, but I think all of those things, though, have to be weighed against the public interest in wanting to know this information with an eye for: How are we going to prevent this in the future?'”
That hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m.