The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) placed Lutheran High School on athletic probation Thursday and warned that the Parker school could be suspended after finding that racist and discriminatory language had been used at its sporting events.
The state’s high school sports governing body issued Lutheran a formal notice that its membership could be suspended and immediately placed the school’s athletic department on probation for at least 12 months, according to a CHSAA statement.
CHSAA said member schools are accountable for the conduct of people in their stands.
“Racism and discrimination have no place in our schools or at our events,” the association said. “CHSAA takes sportsmanship, crowd control and the treatment of every participant at our events seriously, and every member school is responsible for the conduct of its coaches, players and spectators.”
The association said its conclusion was based on documentation, official game reports and firsthand accounts collected by member schools from students and community members. As part of the disciplinary action, Lutheran must develop and complete a Corrective Action Plan addressing game management, spectator behavior, employee training and school culture. School leaders also must appear before the CHSAA Board of Directors. If Lutheran does not meet the requirements, CHSAA said it will recommend suspending the school’s membership.
The allegations began with a Sept. 24 game at Lutheran. Taura Williams, a parent from Sand Creek High School, said she notified a Lutheran representative about the conduct during the game but saw no response. Her daughter, cheerleader Laila Bryant, said she felt unsafe in the opposing student section. Rampart later reported similar concerns following an Oct. 2 game.
Lutheran Executive Director Dan Gehrke condemned racism but said CHSAA acted before the school had completed its internal investigation.
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“Lutheran High School condemns racism in any form, and we will complete every requirement CHSAA has set. We are disappointed that CHSAA reached its determination before our own review is complete and before it could consider our findings,” Gehrke wrote in a letter to parents.
In an earlier message to families, Gehrke also challenged portions of the allegations, saying the students questioned about the Rampart incident were not enrolled at Lutheran.
Air Academy and Coronado have forfeited games against Lutheran. Palmer Ridge, the state’s No. 6-ranked team with a 7-0 record, said it will still travel to Lutheran for its Oct. 30 regular-season finale.
The probation follows weeks of criticism from the Douglas County and Colorado Springs branches of the NAACP, as well as Parker Mayor Joshua Rivero, who said he was “deeply troubled” by the reports.
The decision also comes amid broader scrutiny of state athletic associations’ treatment of faith-based schools. In September 2025, a federal appeals court reinstated Vermont’s Mid Vermont Christian School after the Vermont Principals’ Association had expelled it from state athletic competition.
The sanctions against Lutheran prompted criticism online, with users on X questioning CHSAA’s credibility and the strength of the allegations involving the school.
