Jury acquits ex-middle school teacher accused of inappropriately touching students

Sady Swanson 
September 2, 2025
The Coloradoan

A former Lincoln Middle School teacher was found not guilty after being charged with sexually assaulting two of his students during the 2023-24 school year.

The now former teacher was accused of inappropriately touching two students during class and was arrested in July 2024 on three counts of sexual assault on a child, a Class 3 felony.

A jury acquitted the man, EK, on all charges Sept. 2 following a five-day trial, according to online court records.

During the trial, two of EK’s former students told the jury he touched them in ways that made them feel uncomfortable during class. One of the students told the jury EK touched her on two occasions — once on the breast while complimenting her necklace and another time on the butt as she was leaving the classroom. The other student said EK touched her butt at the end of class while she was bent over packing up her backpack. Another student who testified told the jury she witnessed one of these incidents.

EK’s defense attorney, Derek Samuelson, challenged the credibility of juveniles who testified, citing inconsistencies in what they previously reported and what they testified to during the trial, including details of the type of touching that was alleged and dates when these incidents occurred.

Poudre School District administration was made aware of these allegations in April 2024, and EK was placed on administrative leave that month, a district spokesperson previously told the Coloradoan.

EK had been a social studies teacher at Lincoln Middle School since Aug. 14, 2018, and had coaching positions for a variety of sports at the school starting in March 2020, the district previously told the Coloradoan. In addition to track, he also coached softball and tennis. EK also taught at PSD’s Linton Elementary, where he was a sixth-grade teacher from Aug. 16, 2007, to May 25, 2009.