A Jefferson County school psychologist — trusted to help the district’s most vulnerable kids — was arrested Tuesday on a slew of disturbing charges, including allegedly soliciting child prostitution.

It’s the latest in what parent watchdogs call an “epidemic” fueled by a “permissive culture of sexualization” in Jeffco Schools.

James Michael Chevrier, 38, faces allegations of sexually assaulting a student under age 15 while in a position of trust, soliciting child prostitution, drug possession with intent to manufacture and distribute, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The case began after Lakewood Police received an anonymous Safe2Tell report accusing Chevrier of sexually assaulting a female student. He worked at Green Mountain and Bear Creek High Schools, previously working at Evergreen High (2022-2023) and in Cherry Creek Schools (2021-2022).

Chevrier’s arrest fits what Jeffco Kids First founder Lindsay Datko calls a “pattern of sexual misconduct” in the district — amounting to a “a broader crisis that cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents.”

“The repeated failures point to a systemic breakdown in leadership — one that has tolerated lax boundary enforcement, overlooked clear warning signs, and allowed individuals access to students without sufficient vetting or oversight,” Datko told me. “This is not merely a failure of policy, it is a failure of protection, accountability and moral responsibility.”

Her parents’ group previously documented at least 26 recent misconduct cases — including a paraprofessional who exchanged 21,900 texts with a special-needs student before sexually assaulting them; a family liaison and coach who conducted invasive “exams” on middle schoolers, and Chief of Schools David Weiss, who was terminated during a child pornography investigation before dying by suicide on Jan. 1.

I’ve covered several of these cases, which are backed by Jeffco Schools records. The district challenged Jeffco Kids First to explain the list — which they did — but officials still refuse to meaningfully engage.

“Recently, they labeled our efforts to sound alarm bells as ‘noise,’” Datko said. Following Chevrier’s arrest, she’s calling for an independent investigation, a comprehensive review of vetting and hiring practices and overhaul staff boundary policies.

Let’s be real: If alarm bells sound like “noise,” maybe district officials need their ears checked — and to implement the action items parents are demanding.

So far, Superintendent Tracy Dorland, the school board, general counsel Julie Tolleson and other district leaders haven’t demonstrated they’re taking this crisis seriously, let alone embraced the “immediate structural change” Datko says is urgently needed.

“Until meaningful action is taken,” she warned, “the safety of students remains at unacceptable risk.”

At the center remains Jeffco’s expansive “trusted adult” framework — embedded in policy, curriculum and activities — where staff self-identify as confidants for students’ private matters, fostering a culture of secret-keeping from parents across a range of issues.

In November, school counselor Chloe Castro, 28, was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child while in a position of trust and internet luring. Castro allegedly groomed a 14-year-old student under her care and planned to run away together. She was apparently the student’s “trusted adult.”

Without clear oversight, weak boundary policies — ostensibly offering students safe and reliable support — are ripe for exploitation.

“When counselors or teachers have private conversations with children about sexuality or things going on at home, nobody knows what’s being said. This is dangerous,” 31-year veteran educator Priscilla Shaw Rahn told me last year. Children’s hormonal changes and undeveloped brains, she warned, make students vulnerable and “easily groomed.”

A professional profile for Chevrier emphasizes a focus on “environmental/situational influences (how cultural, gender and lifestyle issues shape people’s experiences and concerns),” “diversity,” and “social justice” — all buzzwords progressives might say qualify for a model “trusted adult.”

Jeffco Schools says it’s scrubbing “trusted adult” language from policy — but this transcends well beyond policy, and any changes to the curriculum remain unclear.

The resulting culture of secrecy enables grooming to slip through the cracks. Even when predators are caught, they aren’t always held accountable. Some are fired then quietly shuffled to other districts.

Let’s be honest: If this were the Catholic Church, politicians and community leaders would demand accountability and a systemic overhaul. The attorney general might sue. But this is the public school system — so it’s written off as “isolated incidents.”

Nonsense. In fact, Jeffco’s rot, while deep, isn’t unique.

Just this week, Douglas County teacher David Feil, 49, was arrested on suspicion of child sexual assault — after prior warnings about inappropriate relationships with students at Roxborough Intermediate School and sixth graders nicknaming him “Mr. Pedophile.” This follows February’s arrest of STEM School Highlands Ranch high school teacher Tera Johnson-Swartz, 44, for allegedly grooming and kidnapping a student — just two examples among countless across the country.

What’s happening in our public school culture? How did a noble profession — filled with educators dedicated to helping children — become a magnet for predators hiding in plain sight?

“It’s a reverse compliment to schools, churches and athletics because good people go into those, and perpetrators want to hide in that group,” Ralston House executive director Don Mosley told Jeffco’s school board in February. “The majority of people who work in those areas are great people, but a few go in for a different reason.”

Until our leaders confront the deeper issues head-on, these scandals won’t stop — and Colorado kids will keep paying the price.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.