Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Child protection

Colorado gets 210 year sentence for sexual abuse of boys at Haiti orphanage
No Comments
Approved, kdvr.com, Local, National

Colorado gets 210 year sentence for sexual abuse of boys at Haiti orphanage

By Brooke Williams | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado man received a sentence of 210 years in prison for sexually abusing numerous children in care at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. The man, identified as 73-year-old Michael Karl Geilenfeld, most recently lived in Littleton. He founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Haiti in 1985. The DOJ said in a press release that he repeatedly traveled from the U.S. to Haiti and “sexually abused the boys entrusted to his care” during his more than two decades operating the orphanage. The DOJ said he also abused the kids physically and emotionally through physical assault and other forms of punishment. Earlier this year, Geilenfeld was convicted by a federal jury on one count o...
Read More
Hunt: Governor signs laws advancing trans agenda, sparking constitutional challenge
No Comments
Approved, Commentary, State, TownHall.com

Hunt: Governor signs laws advancing trans agenda, sparking constitutional challenge

By Nicole Hunt | Commentary, Townhall Just as a refreshing wave of reality-based, commonsense policy seems to be sweeping the nation, Colorado lawmakers are doubling down on “trans” policies that can only be described as absurd, unconscionable and unconstitutional. For those of us in Colorado who still believe in parental rights and free speech, the speed at which our state is descending into a dystopian nightmare is terrifying. Here in Colorado, transactivists control the State House, the Senate, and the governor’s seat. Whatever they want to do, however far they want to push the envelope, they can, and they did this legislative cycle. Some of the bills are so radical that even California’s governor refused to sign similar legislation. This session we saw two radical trans bil...
Read More
Hunter: Faith-driven schools are proving that clarity and character create safe campuses
No Comments
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Hunter: Faith-driven schools are proving that clarity and character create safe campuses

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In the face of rising cultural concerns over student safety and institutional trust, a quiet but significant shift in Colorado’s educational landscape is rooted in moral conviction, sustained by ethical character, and bearing fruit in meaningful outcomes. While negative headlines often dominate the news cycle, a growing number of schools—especially those built on faith-based foundations—are showing that principled leadership still works. These institutions aren’t just reacting to problems; they’re proactively building systems and cultures where students can thrive. This proactive approach should reassure us that safety and success are not just aspirations, but achievable outcomes. And it all begins with what they believe. T...
Read More
Cole: Colorado’s gender bills sideline parents and rush kids into harm
No Comments
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Cole: Colorado’s gender bills sideline parents and rush kids into harm

By Shaina Cole | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice On Friday, March 28, Colorado legislators introduced House Bill 25-1309 and House Bill 25-1312, proposals crafted to safeguard transgender youth. Their aims are well-meaning: one mandates insurance coverage for gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy and surgeries, while the other anchors gender identity within custody law to protect vulnerable children.  Yet, beneath these noble intentions lies a troubling prospect—lasting harm to the very youth they seek to shield, coupled with an alarming shift of authority from parents to the state. Consider HB 25-1309, which compels insurance providers to fund gender-affirming care when deemed medically necessary. The goal is clear: ensure access for transgender youth. H...
Read More
A shepherd in the trenches: Rep. Scott Bottoms answers the call to fight for Colorado
No Comments
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A shepherd in the trenches: Rep. Scott Bottoms answers the call to fight for Colorado

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice El Paso County Republican Rep. Scott Bottoms walked the quiet State Capitol halls with his wife, prayers filling the empty space. They spent hours there—no fanfare, just a pastor seeking God’s will on a new path after years of preaching in Colorado Springs.  Several lawmakers asked him to run for office. “I’m a pastor,” he told them. One replied, “Pray about it.” That stuck. “I almost said no,” Bottoms said. “I was scared God might say yes.”  “I didn’t choose this,” Bottoms said. “I felt God say, ‘This is your battlefield.’” He said what no one else would Bottoms caught the attention of millions across the country with a speech that went viral on X last fall. “Our state is running rampant with pedophilia,”...
Read More
Colorado child protection system under fire after 2-month-old Ezra Johnson’s death
No Comments
Approved, CBS Colorado, State

Colorado child protection system under fire after 2-month-old Ezra Johnson’s death

By Alan Gionet | CBS Colorado Questions have arisen about the actions of child protective workers following the death of a 2-month-old baby in Colorado in July.  The child's mother, 31-year-old Lisa Johnson, and her boyfriend, 33-year-old Alexander Avila, of Lakewood, have both been charged with first-degree murder. Avila also faces a felony charge of tampering with evidence. Additionally, 19-year-old Gage Martinez, arrested Monday, is accused of evidence tampering in the case. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Read More
New rules to address bad child protection actors who may go undetected from county to county
No Comments
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

New rules to address bad child protection actors who may go undetected from county to county

By Jennifer Brown | The Colorado Sun A child protection caseworker in Colorado who gets caught falsifying records or lying about checking on children in one county can get a job in another county. And then another. Under state regulations, if there is no criminal case, no one has to know about the past behavior — not the caseworker’s potential new employer or even the children and parents whose records were falsified. It’s a gap in the system that has concerned child and family advocates for years. After a string of high-profile cases of child protection workers fabricating reports, state officials are now working to strengthen the law.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Read More