Lucy Lawsuit: CORA Watch Day 10
Adams 14 is now 10 business days past the statutory deadline to respond to our public records request. We are seeking to determine the legal costs of defending the Kim v. Adams 14 federal civil rights case.
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — 10 business days have passed since The Snoot Report submitted a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request to Adams County School District 14 regarding legal expenditures in the federal case Kim v. Adams County School District 14. The district has not acknowledged the request or provided a timeline for response.
Colorado law requires public agencies to respond to CORA requests within three business days. The deadline may be extended to seven business days in cases of “exigent circumstances,” but the extension must be communicated in writing. Adams 14 has issued no such notice.
The request seeks records showing how much the district is spending on legal fees associated with issuing a three-year ban to Commerce City Councilmember Craig Kim, after he questioned the hiring of a high school principal previously involved in a widely reported controversy. “All he wanted was an apology,” a source close to the matter told The Snoot Report.
Background on the Hiring Controversy
Prior to joining Adams 14, the principal at the center of the dispute served at Justice High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. In early 2024, she faced widespread criticism for a social media post made shortly after a student at her school died of a drug overdose. The post read:
“Losing a student is never easy for a building principal. Still smiling. Still standing. Still leading. Still teaching, learning, and growing. #JusticeStrong”
The accompanying image showed the principal smiling in a school hallway, holding a coffee mug reading “Blessed”.
Coverage from WUSA9 described the response from students and parents as “backlash” and noted that both the school district and the principal issued a public apology. Shortly after the incident, Fairfax County Public Schools began the process of replacing the principal, according to reporting from the local news site Annandale Today.
The principal was later hired by Adams 14.
Kim’s Inquiry and the Ban
In 2025, Councilmember Craig Kim asked Adams 14’s board whether the controversy had been reviewed during the hiring process and whether parents were informed.
According to Kim’s federal complaint the board and particularly Director Lucy Molina responded by accusing him of harassment, removing him from a public meeting. She live streamed the event and later attempted to delete the video. The Board then issued Kim a three-year ban from district properties. Kim's lawsuit alleges Molina and the Board discriminated against him based on his race and sex, as well as violated his First Amendment and Due Process rights.
Adams 14 has not issued public comment in the case.
Public Records Request Status
The Snoot Report’s records request seeks documentation of legal fees associated with the district’s response to the lawsuit. As of the evening of November 7, 2025, no acknowledgment has been received, no extension has been issued, and no cost estimate has been provided.
Next Steps
The Snoot Report will:
- Call the district’s records custodian on Monday to confirm receipt of the request and rule out clerical oversight.
- Send a brief follow-up email noting statutory response requirements.
- If no response is received, contact the superintendent, members of the Board of Education, and the state board.
CORA Watch will continue until the district responds.
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