COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Parents and staff in Colorado Springs rallied outside School District 11 headquarters Wednesday, demanding transparency from district leaders amid a lawsuit alleging misconduct by top administrators.
The suit, filed Sept. 8, names Superintendent Michael Gaal and Deputy Superintendent Brand Comfort as defendants. KOAA News 5 obtained the lawsuit Wednesday.
The plaintiff, Natasha Kuonahi, claims that on or about Feb. 9, a D-11 staff member told her they had seen Comfort allegedly use a key to unlock the door to her private office. The witness said Comfort stayed inside for about 30 to 40 minutes on three mornings between Feb. 2 and 6.
Watch the Full Story Below
The same witness says they saw Comfort leave the D-11 office with file folders in hand.
After being told this, Kuonahi realized 3 to 5 confidential files of hers had allegedly been stolen. The files included employee names, informal staff complaints, and a file labeled "Superintendent."
She reported the theft to Comfort, her direct supervisor, but did not mention what the witness saw. Comfort told her to report it to security. Security later told her that cameras could not clearly capture where the office door is, calling it "weird."
Around Feb. 10, the file labeled "Superintendent" had been returned, but to the wrong file cabinet. The suit claims Comfort was acting for personal and professional gain and on behalf of Gaal. To date, no other stolen files have been returned or recovered, according to the suit.
Anton Schulzki, a former D-11 teacher who attended Wednesday's rally, said the community has a right to hold the district accountable.
"You know, obviously there are people here who are supportive of teachers, um, they're supportive of their kids in school. Um, they want, they want everyone to know exactly what goes on. A lot of times, right, people no longer have children in school, they kind of push things off to the side, but at the same time they are asking for our tax dollars and so that's, I think, why we need to hold them accountable," Schulzki said.
D-11 Board President Thomas Carey shared a statement with News 5 in response to the allegations.
"An independent third-party investigation was completed regarding the allegations at issue. That investigation did not substantiate allegations of wrongdoing by Superintendent Gaal or Deputy Superintendent Comfort," Carey said.
News5 will continue to follow this story as more information is shared.
___
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
___
Right to Hunt and Fish? Amendment 83
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
