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Academy director could face additional
charges February 2, 2007
By Vic Vela
 Randall
Hinton, left, proposed a military-style school for troubled teens to
the Boonville City Council in Spring 2005. He and his brother,
Russell, hoped to operate the school at the former Kemper Military
School campus, now owned by the city. The proposal was voted down by
the council.
The Royal Gorge Academy official
facing a felony false imprisonment charge as well as assault and
reckless endangerment allegations will have to wait a while to find
out if additional counts will be filed.
Meanwhile, an affidavit indicates
Academy staff members interviewed by investigators offer different
takes on the official's actions.
Randall Hinton of Cañon City, 32,
appeared in Fremont County District Court Jan. 24, his second
appearance since being arrested Jan. 9 following a Cañon City Police
Department investigation that originated in December.
Hinton is project supervisor for
the Academy, a school for troubled teenagers.
Judge David Thorson granted Deputy
District Attorney Thom LeDoux additional time today to file new
charges, if any, against Hinton. Hinton's attorney, Michael Gillick,
said LeDoux was “swamped” and that he had no issue with the
continuance.
An affidavit indicates the CCPD
investigation that began Dec. 30 of last year was prompted by a
complaint by Patty Pacheco, an executive secretary at the school,
who said “she cannot deal with the way the students are treated by
Hinton any longer,” according to a report by an investigating
officer who interviewed her.
The affidavit reads the secretary
told the initial investigating officer that a new, 17-year female
student, who had run away from the school on just her second day
before being returned the following day, was made to “lie face down
on the floor, arms to her side and palms up for hours” as
punishment.
Pacheco indicated the girl was
having her period at the time she was on the ground, according to
the officer.
The affidavit reads the girl
“wanted to change her pants, and Hinton told her no.”
However, Gillick said following
today's hearing that another employee, Holly Simpson, a former
police officer, said the girl was able to use the restroom, and
Simpson accompanied her on restroom visits.
Gillick also contends staff members
interviewed by police were “not present during the entire incident.”
“Those in the know clearly
understand there was no inappropriate action by Randall Hinton,”
said Gillick in an interview following today's hearing.
However, the affidavit indicates
prior alleged incidents concerning Hinton have concerned staff
members.
Pacheco recalled a May 2006
incident where she saw a male student emerge from a meeting with
Hinton with a black eye, “which he didn't have before he went up,”
according to the report.
The affidavit also reports another
staff member, Ryan Robley, said he once witnessed Hinton grab a male
student “by the back of his head and smacked his face against the
floor a couple of times,” causing the student to bleed from his
mouth.
However, both Pacheco and Robley
had positive comments about Hinton, aside from the alleged abuse.
The affidavit reads Pacheco thought Hinton was an “awesome” boss
while Robley felt Hinton was “a good man, but that he may have an
anger problem.”
In spite of the allegations being
levied against Hinton, two parents of students at the school,
including the parent of the girl, were sympathetic toward Hinton.
The affidavit indicates that the girl's mother said her daughter
“can be manipulative and was a difficult child.” Also, the father of
another female student said “kids that go to that school have
problems, they lie, are deceiving, on drugs and have other
problems.”
In fact, the affidavit reads the
girl whom Hinton allegedly forced face-down on the floor would
repeatedly hit herself in the head with a stapler prior to the
alleged abuse.
The affidavit also indicates that
Academy Vice President Brian Lemons had been hesitant in providing
copies of school policies for investigating officers and that he
needed to consult with the school's attorney before complying with
requests for such documents.
However, Gillick said school
officials have been compliant with officers' requests.
Hinton's next scheduled court
appearance will be 11:15 am. March 7.
Vic Vela can be reached at
vvela@ccdailyrecord.com.
Editor's Note: Reprinted with
permission from The Daily Record, Cañon City, Utah.
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