A controversy over allegations of racism that has embroiled Colorado high school football this fall is leading to serious discipline from the Colorado High School Activities Association.
Lutheran High School faces suspension unless it completes a mandatory corrective action plan set by the statewide governing body, according to a notice obtained by The Denver Post.
CHSAA found that Lutheran, a private school in Parker, had “unacceptable discriminatory behaviors and language” from both spectators and participants this football season and last basketball season. CHSAA sent Lutheran an official notice of its determination and penalty Thursday morning.
Lutheran executive director Dan Gehrke didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement to The Denver Post on Tuesday, Gehrke said the school “condemns racism in any form. Racist language or behavior directed at any person violates our values and will not be tolerated.”
The Lutheran football team has been at the center of allegations of racist behavior for nearly a month, which resulted in two Colorado Springs schools forfeiting football games against the Lions. Air Academy forfeited its Oct. 9 homecoming game against Lutheran, while Coronado is forfeiting its scheduled home game against Lutheran on Thursday.
Lutheran’s Sept. 24 game against Sand Creek in Parker sparked the controversy. Sand Creek cheerleaders and the school’s cheerleading coach told The Denver Post that Lutheran students and community members made racist comments and gestures. That included calling Black cheerleaders “Harriet Tubman,” using racial slurs, whipping belts in their direction, and telling them to “go back to where they came from.”
In Thursday’s notice, CHSAA — which announced a review of the allegations against the school on Oct. 9 — said its review found “a concerning pattern of behavior across multiple (Lutheran) events and sports that extends beyond any single isolated incident.”
CHSAA will formally recommend suspending Lutheran’s membership to the CHSAA Board of Directors if the school does not complete its mandated corrective action plan “in the spirit and timeframes by which it is given.” Formally recommending a school’s suspension is a rare punitive measure for CHSAA. Suspension removes a school from CHSAA membership and prohibits its participation in any association games or activities.
Lutheran will be on probation with the association until at least Oct. 15, 2027. During probation, if CHSAA receives substantiated information about any further incidents of racism or serious negative behavior by fans/participants, the school’s entire athletic department could be placed under restriction. That means none of the Lions teams could participate in the postseason.
”Racism and discrimination have no place in our schools or at our events,” CHSAA said in a statement on Thursday. “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.”
In a statement to The Denver Post on Tuesday, Lutheran executive director Dan Gehrke said the school “condemns racism in any form. Racist language or behavior directed at any person violates our values and will not be tolerated.”
“Our investigation into allegations of student misconduct at recent football games is ongoing, and we will take any disciplinary action warranted by the findings,” Gehrke said. “We continue to reach out to leaders at other schools to listen, address concerns and work toward a shared path forward.”
CHSAA’s review, which considered written documentation, game reports, statements from impacted parties, direct communications with Lutheran leadership, and firsthand verbal accounts from member schools, cited five factors in its determination.
CHSAA concluded there was “racially discriminatory fan and spectator conduct” during the football game between Lutheran and Sand Creek, as well as during the football game between Lutheran and Rampart on Oct. 2 and the junior varsity game between Lutheran and Rampart on Oct. 3. CHSAA also received “direct reports of discriminatory and inappropriate participant conduct toward visiting players and student participations” during a basketball game last season, which Lutheran administration was “recently made aware of.”
CHSAA’s letter of determination also cited “additional verbal accounts communicated by member school leadership regarding ongoing concerns across other athletic events” in the past. The letter does not specifically mention what discriminatory/inappropriate conduct occurred at the Rampart games, the 2026 basketball game or at past events.
As a result, CHSAA found Lutheran in violation of six different bylaws, including Bylaw 2240 (Host School Responsibility & Spectator Behavior), Bylaw 2250 (Responsibilities of Host School), Bylaw 2260 (Administrative Control), Bylaw 2270 (Conduct of School Participants) and Bylaw 2330.1. That bylaw states that commissioner Michael Krueger “is directed to place on probation or restriction for a minimum of one season from state qualifying competition any member school program and/or coach” for “any action or conduct that the Commissioner deems detrimental to the mission of the Colorado High School Activities Association.”
CHSAA’s extensive corrective action plan cites four pillars that Lutheran must fulfill “to satisfy the requirements of this (determination) notice and ensure meaningful institutional accountability.”
The first pillar addresses administrative accountability and general event management systems, including requiring the school to develop a school-wide governance and operations plan for all athletic events and submit it to CHSAA by Nov. 15.
It also requires a pregame check-in protocol between Lutheran administration and the visiting team’s representative, and that Lutheran submits compliance and incident audits to CHSAA every 90 days.
The second pillar requires coach and administrator equity training as well as participation by select student-athletes, cheer/spirit squad members, and student leadership representatives in a CHSAA-led sportsmanship workshop. Both trainings must be completed within 60 days.
The third pillar requires Lutheran to implement public address announcements and visible signage at all of the school’s athletic venues outlining a spectator code of conduct, with “a clear warning that abusive, discriminatory, or identity-motivated language will result in immediate ejection without prior warning.” That must be implemented within the next two weeks.
The final pillar calls for an “institutional plan for culture, restorative engagement and rebuilding trust.”
That means within 60 days, Lutheran administration must create a custom plan “detailing specific initiatives, protocols, and restorative strategies the school will implement to foster an inclusive culture and rebuild trust within the interscholastic community.” Lutheran’s executive and athletic leadership then must appear before CHSAA’s Board of Directors next October to be formally removed from probationary status.
Lutheran retains the right to appeal the penalty.
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