COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) The Colorado High School Activities Association on Friday addressed mounting pressure to investigate racist incidents reportedly coming from students of a private Christian school in Parker during recent football games at two Colorado Springs-area schools.

The alleged racist incidents occurred while visiting Lutheran High School played against Sand Creek High on Sept. 24 and Rampart High School on Oct. 2 and 3.

Watch News5's most recent update on this story in the video below:

Air Academy forfeits homecoming football game

Families who reached out to News5 about the racist incidents said Black cheerleaders from Sand Creek High were subjected to racial slurs during the game and were even called Harriet Tubman by Lutheran High students. The Denver Post reports the racist harassment was so severe Sand Creek cheerleading coach Sanaa Ford had to escort a group of Black cheerleaders to their cars before the game was even over while students made monkey noises at them.

News5 took those families concerns to Lutheran High School executive director Dan Gehrke, who said he was aware of the allegations and was actively investigating them.

But just three days after another racist incident occurred at Rampart High that reportedly involved the LuHi Lions, Air Academy High School announced it was forfeiting its homecoming football game scheduled for this Friday against the private Christian school. School officials cited a coaching shortage as the reason for the forfeit and said they would instead schedule a flag football game versus TCA for Oct. 9.

In their statement, Air Academy High did not address the controversy over the racist allegations that now plague Lutheran High, only saying the school was committed to a safe and supportive environment for all students.

The lack of clarity forced Academy District 20, the school district under which Air Academy High School operates, to provide a statement of their own.

Academy District 20 believes racism in any form should never be tolerated. Any credible concerns of racist remarks should be taken seriously and fully investigated, district officials said.

In their statement, district officials said that conversations between Lutheran High and Air Academy High had taken place earlier this week and both had agreed to limit fan attendance only to family members of both schools as well as add security enhancements.

Ultimately, individual decisions affected the level of coaching participation available. Given those circumstances, Air Academy was not in a position to safely field and support a varsity football contest, district officials said.

Watch News5's first story on these allegations in the video below:

School districts respond to racist incidents at high school football games

Not long after that statement was released, CHSAA officials announced they would be meeting with school officials from Lutheran, Sand Creek and Rampart High to discuss these recent racist incidents.

These conversations were about more than any single incident, a CHSAA spokesperson said in a statement to News5 Friday. CHSAA is committed to an environment free from racism and discrimination, and that requires more than responding to individual reports.

CHSAA officials said that besides their own investigation into these allegations, the three schools affected by reports of racist behavior are also conducting investigations of their own and added that they will review their findings before making any decisions on potential punitive action.

We understand the desire for immediate action. But decisions of this weight must be based on complete information, and acting before we have it would not serve student participants or our member schools, officials said. If CHSAA bylaws are determined to have been violated, consequences will be determined according to those bylaws.

This isnt the first time Lutheran High School students have been under the spotlight for alleged racist behavior.

In 2021, an investigation for unsportsmanlike conduct was launched against the LuHi Lions after an Evergreen High School parent alleged Lutheran High football players used racist slurs against Evergreens minority players and said, We will bury you like your dead coach, after a coach on the Jefferson County team had died, according to Denver7.

_____

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.

DENVER The Department of Justice on Thursday sued Denver over what the federal government claims is an unconstitutional mask ban targeting federal agents and other law enforcement officers.

The city ordinance, which was signed into law earlier this year, bans federal immigration and other law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while working in Denver and requires them to clearly identify themselves with a visible ID when operating within city limits. Under the law, federal agents who do not comply could be cited with a $999 fine by Denver police and face up to 300 days in jail.

Watch Denver7s prior reporting on this city ordinance in the video below:

Denver ban on masks for ICE agents, other law enforcement approved by city council in unanimous vote

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court of Colorado against the City of Denver, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Denver City Attorney Miko Brown, and Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas, argues that complying with the law would endanger officers and reduce operational effectiveness by, among other things, subjecting them to doxxing, harassment, and threats to their physical safety.

Imposing Denvers more rigid facialcovering and identification rules would strip federal officers of the flexibility to determine when and how to identify themselves during immigration enforcement operations, undermining both officer safety and operational effectiveness, the lawsuit states.

The complaint also argues that Denvers mask ban puts agents' safety under threat because it allows the public to photograph or record them during enforcement operations something people have the right to do under the First Amendment and makes the case that disseminating agents' identities online could be used by members of organized crime and transnational criminal organizations in serious and potentially deadly ways.

While such a scenario has yet to play out nationally, the lawsuit claims the families of two federal agents in the Denver metro area and Durango have already been doxxed and harassed after their images were posted online.

The lawsuit further argues that Denvers mask ban is a violation of the federal governments Supremacy Clause, which dictates that federal law takes precedence when it conflicts with local or state laws. In its claim for relief, the DOJ asks the federal court to declare Denvers ordinance as invalid as applied to federal law enforcement officers, agents, or agencies and to permanently prohibit the city from enforcing its mask ban.

In a statement shared on Instagram shortly after the city was served with the lawsuit, Mayor Johnston said his office would fight to the very end on this battle to make sure that every law enforcement officer, local or federal, that operates in Denver does not wear a mask (and) is easily identifiable to the public.

We think law enforcement should be transparent and accountable. An officer should not only not wear a mask; they should have a badge, they should have a name, they should have a badge number that you can track, Johnston said, vowing the city would stand by the ordinance.

Mask ban came in wake of increasing tensions between ICE, public

Denver City Council member Flor Alvidrez, one of the sponsors of the ordinance, told Denver7 earlier this year the law was in response to constituents concerns about how to distinguish law enforcement officers from bad actors as President Donald Trump sought to ramp up his mass deportation campaign.

"I think this is critical. When someone is in their home and someone's knocking on their door and they have a mask and a gun, who's going to answer the door? Why would you?" said Alvidrez. "This is literally trying to find the bare minimum that we can do to help people have some sense of safety and security in our city."

Just last month, The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements human resources division was making final job offers before preliminary vetting steps had been completed, including fingerprints, identity verification and credit checks, raising concerns about the new hires.

The citys mask ban isnt the only step Denver has taken to protect Denver residents from what Johnston has described as federal overreach.

Just days after signing the mask ban ordinance, Johnston also signed an executive order banning ICE from city-owned or city-controlled property.

Watch Denver7s story on that executive order in the video player below:

Denver mayor signs order banning ICE from city property, laying out measures to protect protesters

More recently, Denver sued to block the Trump administration from sending armed federal immigration enforcement agents to voting sites during this years midterm elections, claiming their presence would be a violation of federal law.

Police chief, council members reluctant to address mask ban enforcement questions

Denver7 has repeatedly brought up concerns about how the city would enforce its ICE mask ban, given the U.S. Constitution enshrines the federal government with a Supremacy Clause. In response, Council member Alvidrez said the city has authority over public safety and the use of city resources, even if it cant change federal law itself.

She told Denver7 previously that the law is not meant to target ICE agents but aims instead to reduce the risk of residents or other officers from encountering someone who may not be who they say they are.

But Brian Pacelko, the president of the Denver Police Protection Association, told Denver7 earlier this year there are still many questions about enforcement issues the law does not address.

"What will happen if an officer does take enforcement action, and a federal agent then tries to arrest that officer for impeding their operation? What happens to them if they're charged with a crime? Is there an internal affairs process? Are they sent home? Are they suspended without pay?" asked Pacelko. "These are our main concerns with how these things are going to affect our officers and their well-being."

When Denver7 took these questions to Alvidrez earlier this year, she was hesitant to provide a definitive answer.

"It will have to be a lot of investigation... what my conversations have been with police, is that they will be on scene if there is an imminent threat," Alvidrez said. "They will not be on scene if everything is being followed by the law. Their goal is never to interfere with federal supremacy. It's just holding bad actors accountable."

A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department told Denver7 that when it came to enforcement, "of utmost importance is discretion and prioritizing de-escalation when encountering these situations. Our goal is to apply this ordinance in a way that builds trust and transparency without putting officers, deputies, or the public at risk."

Though similar bans went into effect in places like Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Milwaukee and Philadelphia earlier this year, most have either been blocked by federal judges or are subject to pending litigation by the federal government.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board voted Thursday to propose the sale of the former Meadows Park Community Center.

A city spokesperson said in a news release obtained by News5 the proposed sale aims to preserve community-serving uses at the site for the next 25 years and stressed the vote is a recommendation and does not authorize the sale of the former community center, which closed last year after the city could no longer sustain it.

News5 reporter Owen Skornik-Hayes spoke to a group who submitted a proposal to take over Meadows Park Community Center earlier this year in the video below:

'Focused on the Solution': A New Vision for a Closed Community Center

Under the proposal, local commercial real estate company CRE Holdings would purchase the property, the city spokesperson said, adding the company has identified childcare for working families, youth programming and aftercare partnerships as priority uses, while also emphasizing access for lower-income households and continued investment in the facility. Specific future tenants, programs and services have not yet been finalized, the release states.

The recommendation follows nearly one year of work with Stratton Meadows residents and community representatives to identify a sustainable future for the property after the community center closed in October 2025, the spokesperson said, adding community feedback emphasized access to services, social connection and community safety, and helped shape the priorities used to evaluate proposals.

The community helped shape what comes next for this property, and that input has stayed at the center of this process, said Kim King, assistant director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services for Colorado Springs. The goal has been to find a sustainable future for the site that continues to provide meaningful benefit to Stratton Meadows. The Advisory Boards recommendation moves that work forward for City Councils consideration.

Watch additional News5 reporting on the former Meadows Park Community Center in the video below:

Community 'cautiously optimistic' for new-look Meadows Park community center

Following the centers closure, the city formed the Meadows Park Solutions Team, which included neighborhood residents, community leaders, City Councilmembers and City staff. The group reviewed community feedback and helped identify priorities for the property, including youth and childcare services, food access, senior and intergenerational programs, health and wellness, workforce and educational opportunities, and gathering space.

City officials said that work informed a competitive request for proposals issued in February. The City received three proposals, and an evaluation committee that included neighborhood representatives selected CRE Holdings to move forward based on its experience, approach and anticipated community impact.

The proposal will next go to Colorado Springs City Council, which has final authority to approve the property transfer. Council is currently scheduled to discuss the proposal at its Oct. 12 work session.

___

____

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.

DENVER This past winter season was a bust and its been an unusually hot summer here in Colorado, but that isnt stopping skiers and snowboarders from hoping this season will be far more favorable for shredding powder in the high country.

Thankfully, a strong El Nio forecast could mean wetter, snowier conditions for the Centennial State, which bodes well for drought-stricken ski resorts across the state.

Vail Resorts announces target opening dates for 2026-2027 season

Here are the tentative opening dates for Colorado ski resorts for the 2026-2027 season, with at least one of them happening (potentially) later this month:

October

A-Basin: As soon as possible in October

Key Stone: As soon as possible in late October

Winter Park Resort: As soon as possible

November

Loveland Ski Area: No date set, but Nov. 5 on average over the past five years

Breckenridge: Nov. 6, 2026

Copper Mountain: Nov. 6, 2026

Vail Mountain: Nov. 13, 2026

Powderhorn: Nov. 20, 2026

Purgatory Resort: Nov. 20, 2026

Steamboat: Nov. 21, 2026

Beaver Creek: Nov. 25, 2026

Crested Butte: Nov. 25, 2026

Granby Ranch: Nov. 25, 2026

Aspen Mountain: Nov. 26, 2026

Snowmass: Nov. 26, 2026

Telluride: Nov. 26, 2026

December

Monarch Mountain: Early-to-mid December

Ski Cooper: Dec. 9, 2026

Sunlight Mountain Resort: Dec. 11, 2026

Aspen Highlands: Dec. 12, 2026

Buttermilk: Dec. 12, 2026

Silverton Mountain: Dec. 31, 2026

While these are the targeted opening days, it's worth remembering that opening dates are subject to change based on weather and conditions.