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Pueblo HS: Report on illegal grade changing scandal released

Posted at 12:46 PM, Mar 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-28 13:55:44-04

An update on our investigation into the illegal grade-changing scandal at Pueblo High School.

The governing board has voted to release a district report that has been kept confidential.

TUSD released the following report:

We may finally learn about the findings of an investigation into an illegal grade-changing scandal at a TUSD high school.  The Governing Board is set to vote tonight on whether to release a portion of the report by the law firm hired by the district.

Pueblo principal Auggie Romero has come under fire in recent years over a grade-changing scandal. 
He's been on the hot seat after a teacher came forward to KGUN9 -- that Romero changed several seniors grades without her consent -- a violation of state law. And she provided proof -- her grade sheets.

"This is something that has never happened before in my 31 years as a teacher," said Yolanda Sotelo in 2016. 

Romeo even admitted on Facebook he changed the grades, but claimed his supervisor, Abel Morado, directed him to take that action. 

KGUN9 obtained a scathing memo written by Morado, who stated that wasn't the case. He stated that he had reminded Romero he needed to get the teacher to change grades and Romero's "failure to comply with the very simple directive caused all of the controversy." 

The memo also reveals the Deconcini law firm investigated the allegations and found Romero "did change the student's grades." 

RELATED: Pueblo HS Principal suspended without pay

KGUN9 requested the document through a public records request, but the district declined citing attorney-client privilege. 

Now the board is voting on whether to release the findings "concerning potential violations of the law: improper grade-changing, improper promotion, and discrimination.