Colorado Springs preschool closes after child abuse allegations, state investigation
A preschool in Colorado Springs closed on Thursday following a state investigation and several serious allegations.
Tova Cohen, a spokesperson with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, sent Gazette news partner KKTV the following statement on Friday in regard to the Primrose School of Briargate at 2380 Briar Ridge Point on the city’s north side:
“On or about July 18, 2022, the El Paso County Department of Human Services received a referral with allegations of abuse and neglect occurring at the Primrose School of Briargate in Colorado Springs. El Paso County Department of Human Services did not investigate the referral.”
The statement goes on to say that CDEC then received a Severity One complaint on or about July 20, and did a follow-up investigation that found “a lack of supervision, harsh treatment, failure to report child abuse, unqualified staff, regularly exceeding ratio in the school-age classroom, staff members falling asleep during [children’s] nap time, missing background checks, and children left outside unattended.”
CDEC concluded as a result of the follow-up investigation that “operation of the facility presents a substantial danger to the public health, safety, and welfare, requiring emergency action.”
On Friday, Liz Ergle, director of communications for Primrose Schools, the parent company for the school, released a statement saying that “the health, safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care is at the very core of our brand promise at Primrose Schools.
“When a franchisee signs an agreement to independently own and operate a Primrose school, they agree to uphold our high standards for operational excellence. This commitment includes following our stringent protocols and guidelines, as well as adhering to all licensing requirements and all local, state and federal laws.
“We were informed Primrose School of Briargate’s license was summarily suspended on Thursday afternoon, and the school was required to be closed by end of business. Upon learning of the situation, we immediately launched an internal investigation and terminated the franchise agreement.”
Primrose Schools is a national system of accredited and private preschools that provides year-round full- and part-time education and care for infants and children starting at 6 weeks of age, according to its website.
Primrose Schools also has Colorado Springs locations at 3805 Tutt Blvd. and 4110 Dublin Blvd., which remain open, according to the Primrose website.
Primrose School of Briargate in Colorado Springs.