During 2017 and 2018, about 1.3% of U.S. parents reported that their children used melatonin, according to the study. CU Boulder researchers surveyed parents in 2023 and found about 18.5% of children ages 5 to 9 had been given melatonin in the 30 days prior to the survey.

About 19.4% of kids ages 10 to 13 and nearly 6% of preschoolers ages 1 to 4 had used melatonin in the same time period.

Additionally, the researchers said there are unknown risks with melatonin for children. Because it’s considered a supplement, melatonin is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

“We hope this paper raises awareness for parents and clinicians, and sounds the alarm for the scientific community,” CU Boulder lead author Lauren Hartstein said in a release. “We are not saying that melatonin is necessarily harmful to children. But much more research needs to be done before we can state with confidence that it is safe for kids to be taking long-term.”

According to the release, nearly one in five school-aged children and preteens now take melatonin for sleep. Hartstein said the reason for the increase in melatonin use is difficult to identify.

“A number of research studies have reported increased sleep disturbances in children as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hartstein said. “We also know that kids are increasingly using screen media devices before bedtime, which could be contributing to sleep difficulties. But we also can’t say for certain whether the increase in pediatric melatonin use reflects a corresponding increase in sleep problems.”

Hartstein said the findings do signal that parents are searching for solutions.

“Melatonin is increasingly being marketed to parents as an easy and ‘natural’ option to help children sleep and is being sold in preparations that are tasty and appealing to children, which may be contributing to increased use,” Hartstein said.

Melatonin is a hormone the brain produces when it’s dark, signaling it’s time to sleep. In the United States, chemically synthesized or animal-derived melatonin is available over the counter as a dietary supplement, the study said, and in many other countries, it’s classified as a drug and available by prescription only.

Melatonin is also increasingly available in child-friendly gummies. Reports of melatonin ingestion to poison control centers increased 530% from 2012 to 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, largely occurring among children under 5.

In a study published in April, researchers analyzed 25 melatonin gummy products. One had more than three times the amount of melatonin reported on the label. One had no detectable amount of melatonin, but did contain 31.3 mg of CBD, an active ingredient in cannabis.

The study found the majority of melatonin gummy products were inaccurately labeled, with most products exceeding the amount of melatonin and CBD on the label.

“Parents may not actually know what they are giving to their children when administering these supplements,” Hartstein said in the release.

Some scientists, according to the release, have raised concerns that giving melatonin to young people whose brains and bodies are still developing could influence the timing of puberty onset.

Co-author Julie Boergers, a psychologist and pediatric sleep specialist at Rhode Island Hospital and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, said that when used under the supervision of a health care provider, melatonin can be a useful short-term aid.

“But it is almost never a first-line treatment,” Boergers said in the release. “Although it’s typically well-tolerated, whenever we’re using any kind of medication or supplement in a young, developing body, we want to exercise caution.”

Introducing melatonin early in life could also have another unintended consequence by sending the message that a pill is the answer for trouble sleeping, Hartstein said.

“If this many kids are taking melatonin, that suggests there are a lot of underlying sleep issues out there that need to be addressed,” Hartstein said. “Addressing the symptom doesn’t necessarily address the cause.”

The complaint, filed by the Equal Protection Project, said the McNair Scholars Program at CU Boulder excludes certain students based on race.

To qualify for the McNair Scholars Program at CU Boulder, a student must be low income, first generation or ethnically underrepresented. The McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded program by the Department of Education at 151 institutions to help chosen students obtain a doctoral degree.

The scholarship program defines underrepresented as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian or Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders. The complaint said the scholarship is discriminatory because it excludes students of any other race not listed, including white and Asian people.

“The University of Colorado Boulder just became aware of the complaint filed by the Equal Protection Project against the university to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights,” a CU Boulder Spokesperson said. “Our campus strives to comply with all federal requirements related to the awarding of financial aid, is evaluating this complaint and will respond to any inquiry we might receive from OCR.”

The complaint said offering “scholarship opportunities to students based on their race and skin color violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

The complaint also references when the Supreme Court overruled affirmative action in June, ending race-conscious admissions practices in universities.

William Jacobson, president and founder of the EPP, said the Supreme Court case affirms the scholarship program’s unlawfulness when it ruled that student body diversity is not an interest that justifies racial discrimination.

“I’m assuming Boulder and other schools do this because they want a more diverse environment, whether you think that’s good or bad doesn’t matter, we don’t need to reach that judgment,” Jacobson said. “Assuming it’s a good thing, you still can’t discriminate on the basis of race in order to achieve that diversity. You need to find a different way.”

The EPP challenges the legality of programs in higher education — including scholarships, grants and tuition reductions — that have a goal of increasing racial diversity and exclude certain races. The EPP is part of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, an organization that has a conservative law and politics blog and a critical race theory website.

The McNair Scholars Program funds are used to provide the awarded students with research opportunities, faculty mentoring and seminars, summer research internships, graduate school visits, fee waivers for graduate school application fees and funding for travel to academic conferences.

The EPP also submitted a complaint about the same scholarship program at CU Denver. Jacobson said he hopes CU Boulder will take initiative to change the scholarship rules.

The complaint process within the Department of Education begins with the filing of a complaint, and CU Boulder will have a chance to respond. The Department of Education will then decide whether to open an investigation in the next several months.

Braun, born and raised in Boulder and an alum of the university, was appointed the executive director of CU Presents in 2001 and will retire in June after a 30-year career at CU Boulder.

“We were not CU Presents before (2001), so to come together and have that organization be successful and of value to the partner organizations is absolutely a legacy that I’m really proud of,” Braun said.

Sabine Kortals Stein, the senior director of communications for the College of Music, said Braun’s passion for the arts led to her vision for CU Presents.

“She really single-handedly built this entity that is now CU Presents,” Stein said, adding, “She had the vision and foresight and knew who to collaborate with.”

John Davis, dean of the College of Music, said Braun brought art to people who didn’t have prior exposure to it and created a culture of attending diverse events by bringing worldly artists to Boulder.

For example, in the Artist Series, CU Presents brings the best music and dance performers to Boulder from around the world, including Yo-Yo Ma and the Martha Graham Dance Company.

“In the Artist Series, you see (Braun) and the work she’s done for decades,” Davis said. “In that way, she’s impacted CU Boulder on many levels … and she’ll be remembered at CU Boulder for many years to come.”

Braun said she’s had a wonderful career with work that’s been personally very meaningful.

“One thing that I’ve learned in this work is the value of a shared experience that one gets by being in a performance with other human beings in the moment, is really effective in creating community and bridging differences,” Braun said.

“It’s also a really wonderful way to open doors in terms of educating people or understanding things about different cultures. That’s something I really enjoy being able to do and bring to our stage.”

Braun said even though Boulder doesn’t have a lot of ethnic diversity, the community is interested in it. Through CU Presents, Boulder County residents are able to experience artists they wouldn’t otherwise, unless they travel to Denver or beyond.

“It’s an opportunity to understand somebody whose life and background and cultural experiences are very different from yours,” Braun said.

Braun said the performing arts are uplifting, beautiful and uniting.

“There’s inspiration and different lessons people come away with,” Braun said. “It’s been immensely enjoyable and gratifying.”

Stein said Braun exemplifies CU Boulder’s mission to create universal musicians, or musicians that are multifaceted in their skills and careers. Braun is a broadly-based professional, Stein said, who started in music and had a flexible career that remained rooted in the arts.

“We’re also really proud of her because she exemplifies what we’re trying to do for our students,” Stein said.

Davis said Braun is an empathetic leader and makes her team feel heard. He said Braun encourages her team to be the best it can, and the results speak for themselves.

“She’s one of those people you aspire to be, especially as a leader,” Davis said.

Braun said she’s looking forward to enjoying life in retirement. She’s close with her family and wants to spend more time with her 2-year-old grandson. Braun loves to be outside, and wants to spend more time hiking, traveling, gardening and skiing.

“I’ve brought what I see and my unique abilities and talents to this job, and I’m intrigued to pass the torch, in a way, to see what somebody else can do at this point,” Braun said. “And they’ll take it further.”

Davis said Braun will be missed, but her fans in the CU Boulder community are also delighted that she gets a chance to enjoy her children and grandchild and take time for herself.

“It’s both a sad time for us but also cause to celebrate, and celebrating Joan is an easy thing to do,” Davis said.

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The researchers found the majority of Colorado prisons are highly vulnerable to hazards including floods, wildfires and extreme temperatures. However, inmates can’t leave to protect themselves from the dangers of natural disasters.

Interviews conducted as part of a separate but related CU Boulder research project revealed inmates would turn on the toilet just to circulate air in an extremely hot cell or stuff clothes over vents and windows to keep wildfire ash out of their cell.

“Its unbelievable the type of conditions they’re exposed to and there’s no way things are going to change without bringing it to the public and some compassion,” CU Boulder Professor Shideh Dashti said.

Dashti and her team looked at census data from 110 Colorado facilities, including prisons, jails and juvenile detention and immigration detention centers. They used Geographic Information System mapping software and climate modeling data to calculate whether each facility was at low, medium or high risk of wildfire, heatwaves, floods and landslides.

They found that about 75% of facilities, which houses 83% of Colorado’s incarcerated population, have either moderate or high exposure to at least one hazard, and 17% are at risk of two.

One third of facilities, housing about 12,700 people, are at medium to high risk of wildfire. Fifteen are at risk of flooding while 26 had no flood risk data available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In Colorado, about 31,000 people are incarcerated. About half of facilities are at risk of extreme heat.

“It’s deadly,” Dashti said. “Especially in the case of extreme heat.”

The study also found that Black people are significantly more likely than white people to be jailed in a facility at risk of extreme heat, while Hispanic or Latino people are at greater risk of experiencing a flood while incarcerated.

Dashti said the research exposes a racial justice issue in addition to an environmental justice issue. According to data from Pew Charitable Trusts and Jail Data Initiative, racial disparities continue to persist in many American jails.

About 13% of the United States population are Black, but Black people make up more than 37% of people in prison or jail, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. If Black and Hispanic people were incarcerated at the same rates as white people, prison and jail populations would decline by almost 40%.

“They (prisons) are taking advantage,” Dashti said. “The taxpayer money is paying for the incarcerated and this is a group that doesn’t have a voice and the public is generally uneducated about what leads to incarceration, especially in this country with such a history of racial bias.”

‘Truly horrifying’

Dashti said the prisons would not grant them entry to interview currently incarcerated people or provide any additional information to aid their research.

So, CU Boulder Professor Ben Barron led the separate research project that interviewed formerly incarcerated prisoners to gain a better understanding of the conditions.

“It’s truly horrifying to listen to,” Barron said in a release. Barron conducted nine interviews and four focus groups for a separate paper that’s not yet published.

Some who were interviewed reported enduring temperatures in the upper-90s inside their cells.

“We just want the doors open because we’re dying in here,’” one told researchers.

“I remember people just burning,” one 46-year-old man said in the study while describing his cell mate. “He was out there all day. And he was so purple, and he had edema on his head so bad you could put your thumb in his forehead and it would just stay.”

Dashti said the solution calls for reimagining justice infrastructure in the United States and creating healing spaces instead of the existing prison system focused on crime and punishment.

“We are not providing an environment that prevents crime by investing in education, instead we are hurting our most vulnerable people by torturing them,” Dashti said.

Dashti said the most common comment she hears from people is that there are other, more important issues and that these people committed a crime and are being punished regardless.

Talking to someone who is or has been incarcerated is like talking to any other person, Dashti said, and they’re still human beings.

“Many of then have made a mistake,” she said. “How many of us haven’t made a mistake when we were younger?”

Additionally, she said some of them are wrongly incarcerated. In many other cases, the punishment they experience in the extreme conditions of the prisons are not proportional to the crime they committed, she said.

Dashti said the goal of the research was to create a framework for studying this further throughout the nation and alarm the community that there’s a lack of research in this area. She hopes others will continue this type of research and that it will someday have an effect on policymakers.

“In the end, I think if the American public becomes more educated and compassionate, it will move toward the end of incarceration in America as a whole, and that’s the ultimate goal,” Dashti said.

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The parasite is already associated with risk-taking behavior and mental illness, according to a release, and the CU Boulder study found it may also contribute to signs of frailty including exhaustion and loss of muscle mass.

The parasite, called Toxoplasma gondii, affects about 11% of people in the United States, or roughly 40 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates tend to be higher in older people, and in some countries, more than 60% of people have been infected, according to the CDC.

“We often think of T. gondii infection as relatively asymptomatic, but this study highlights that for some people it may have significant health consequences later on,” Christopher Lowry, CU Boulder professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology, said in a release.

For the study, the team examined the blood of 601 Spanish and Portuguese adults older than 65 and looked at frailty, including unintentional weight loss, tiredness and loss of cognition.

About 67% of study subjects showed markers in their blood of a latent infection, or an infection by the parasite that was inactive in their body and showed no symptoms.

The researchers did not, as they hypothesized, find an association between an infection to T. gondii and frailty, according to the study. However, they did find that those with a higher concentration of antibodies to the parasite were significantly more likely to be frail.

A higher concentration of antibodies could reflect a more virulent or widespread infection, multiple infections or recent reactivation of a latent infection, the release said.

How it’s spread

Wild and domestic cats are considered the definitive host of the parasite, while warm-blooded animals like birds and rodents are secondary hosts. When cats eat infected animals, T. gondii takes up residence and multiplies in their intestines, shedding eggs in their feces.

People are typically infected through exposure to litter boxes, contaminated water, dirty vegetables or by eating undercooked pork, lamb or other meat that’s infested.

Most people never know they’ve been infected and only about 10% initially have brief flu-like symptoms. Most healthy people recover from it without treatment, according to the CDC.

However, mounting research suggests that the parasite tends to linger dormant for decades, located in cysts in muscle and brain tissue with some serious impacts, the release said.

People who have been infected tend to engage in risky behavior, with research showing they tend to be more impulsive, more entrepreneurial and more likely to get in a car crash, the release said. They also have higher rates of schizophrenia, certain mood disorders, cognitive problems and are more likely to attempt suicide, according to research by Lowry and Teodor Postolache, a professor at University of Maryland School of Medicine and senior author on the new study.

Future research needed

The new study does not prove that T. gondii causes frailty, but it does identify a compelling association for further study.

Their research suggests that infection with the parasite could exacerbate inflammation that already occurs with aging. Because dormant T. gondii tends to hide out in muscle tissue, Postolache suspects it could also play a role in accelerating age-related muscle wasting.

“This paper is important because it provides, for the first time, evidence of the existence of a link between frailty in older adults and intensity of the response to T. gondii infection,” co-author Blanca Laffon, a professor at the University of A Coruña in Spain, said in the release.

For those infected with the parasite, certain medications or immune compromising diseases like HIV or cancer can enable a dormant infection to reactivate with adverse effects. Even in people with healthy immune systems, Lowry said in the release, immune function can decline with age, potentially enabling T. gondii to activate.

The researchers said in the release they hope their study will inspire more research into the relationship between T. gondii and frailty, and ultimately lead to new ways of keeping the parasite from doing harm.

For now, they encourage people — especially pregnant, elderly and immune compromised people— to take steps to avoid infection.

Prevention strategies improve changing the litter box daily and washing hands afterward, avoiding undercooked meat and rinsing fruits and vegetables. Keep cats indoors and avoid stray cats. If pregnant or immunocompromised, avoid changing the litter box if possible. Infection can cause serious problems during pregnancy to a developing fetus.

For those who may be infected, a health care provider can order blood tests specific for the parasite to determine whether there’s an infection and determine how recent it is.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/puswnhrh.

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A cutting-edge projection system will mesmerize with vibrant colors and a 360-degree wrap around screen.

The show begins at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 25, Dec. 9 and Dec. 21 at Fiske Planetarium, 2414 Regent Drive. For tickets, details on the playlist and more event information, visit tinyurl.com/k8cyy95a.

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The team, called the Green Grad Buffs, entered a virtual competition hosted by the AES Corporation, a global company that focuses on sustainable energy.

The competition, called the AES Innovation Challenge, tasks university students with developing a novel solution to a problem in the energy industry. The solution is hypothetical, with the goal to inspire students think strategically and explore potential solutions to problems in their communities.

There were 18 universities from 10 states that participated, with 57 teams and 234 participants, and the CU Boulder team won the top prize.

“It’s something that we’re all pretty proud of and is something that’s inspiring a lot of future work for us,” group member Emily Cummins said.

The group’s proposed solution was to repurpose the infrastructure at the Zuni Power Plant in the Sun Valley neighborhood in Denver by using clean energy technology to replace coal. They also pitched the idea of creating a community center that could house a Colorado energy museum, training programs, meeting spaces or be used as warming or cooling centers.

Madelka McCalla, chief corporate affairs and impact officer at AES, said the Green Grad Buff’s solution was realistic, comprehensive and community-focused.

“They provided a solution that considered the energy transition and how to leverage that existing infrastructure,” McCalla said. “But what was more important for us … was the energy solution was not their focal point, rather the Sun Valley community.”

Group member Tom Hill said the idea to propose a solution for the Zuni Power Plant came after the whole team had visited Sun Valley through a class last semester. According to the Denver Housing Authority, more than 80% of Sun Valley residents live below the poverty line, and the neighborhood represents 33 different cultural backgrounds and speaks more than 28 languages.

“We were intrigued by opportunities there but also the challenge to try to work in community benefit,” Hill said.

Cummins said the group looked at news articles, quotes from community leaders and other documentation to get to know the community members and their thoughts on the power plant.

“We didn’t design this with the expectation that Denver would actually move forward with it, but we’d love to hear feedback from them,” Cummins said.

Group member Tatiana Huet de Bacellar said the project exposed them to how energy solutions can bring communities into a more equitable space by providing jobs and healthy environment.

“We were able to take pre-existing energy infrastructure that has been deemed bad, and it is bad, coal is not the way of the future, and instead of demolishing it, actually use it for its intended purpose of providing energy,” she said. “I thought that was really awesome.”

McCalla said community involvement in energy solutions is critical. If the energy solution doesn’t embed with what the community wants, there’s a risk of failing to complete the project.

“Communities not only need to be consulted, they need to be part of the solution,” McCalla said.

In addition to the $10,000 prize, the group received a $1,000 donation to give to a charity of their choice, and the group chose the Sun Valley Kitchen & Community Center.

CU Boulder students Patrick Fegan and Andrew Bayliss were also on the team. Each member has a different background and degree path, but share an interest in sustainable energy. The prize money is awarded to the five team members for personal use to cover things including car repairs and tuition.

“It was just a really fantastic opportunity, and it was an opportunity that I think is making me more excited to graduate and actually join the workforce and get involved in projects like this,” Cummins said.

Approval for the acquisition of the Louisville property and the program plan for the new residence hall was granted by the University of Colorado Board of Regents on Tuesday.

The Louisville property, located at 1164 W. Dillon Road, is currently a Regal Cinebarre movie theater. CU Boulder is looking to acquire the 8.85 acre property for $10 million.

According to the program plan, the property could help to meet substantial faculty and staff demand for rental housing that was revealed in CU Boulder’s 2019 housing survey. The property is seven miles from campus and immediately adjacent to the McCaslin RTD Park-n-Ride station, providing easy, sustainable transportation options to and from campus.

CU Boulder plans to collaborate with Louisville and the community on the development of the property.

“Louisville, like many regional communities, has lost significant brick-and-mortar retailers in the last few years, including big-box stores such as Sam’s Club, Kohl’s, and more recently Lowe’s,” according to the program plan. “The addition of faculty and staff housing to Louisville will likely contribute positively to Louisville’s sales tax revenues.”

Because the Board of Regents approved the acquisition, CU Boulder will enter a cancellable contract to purchase the property on Friday. The university will then assess the property to determine its suitability for acquisition. If all other necessary approvals are obtained, the university will close on the property in February.

In addition to the property acquisition, CU Boulder is moving forward on building a new residence hall on campus near north Boulder Creek.

The new dormitory will have 330 to 350 beds, cost about $124.4 million and be designed to include one-room studios and two, four and five-bedroom units. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring and occupancy is expected in 2026.

The new residence hall will also be used as a “swing space” to house students while three heavily used residence halls on the main campus are prioritized for comprehensive renovation.

The project is part of the 2021 Campus Master Plan and Housing Master Plan goals to improve the quality and quantity of housing at CU Boulder, including for non-first year students. The 2021 CMP predicts a need for 14,400 to 16,000 student housing beds by 2050 compared to the 10,000 existing beds at CU Boulder. The CMP also notes that 74% of the current on-campus housing caters heavily to first-year students.

“Availability, quality, and affordability of housing has increasingly become a significant factor in the recruitment and retention of students,” the program plan said.

For more information on both projects, visit tinyurl.com/4n4mdyw4.

Without knowing who the llama belonged to, Fiona Caruthers and Leigh DiNatale felt like they had to do something after they saw a Facebook post about it. They both recognized the place where Sweety went missing.

“I just felt like I know this place, and there may be nobody else that knows where it is except the people that camp there,” Caruthers said. “I’ve got to go.”

As a llama owner herself, Caruthers said she felt such a strong call to help that she had no other choice.

“It was really our feeling that if we don’t do anything, this llama is going to die up there in the winter,” Caruthers said.

Sweety is owned by two hunters from Oregon who came to Colorado for a 15-day trip. While in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, they left their llamas behind for a short time. Two of their llamas were still there when they returned, but Sweety had managed to escape, despite being securely staked in place.

Co-owner Matt Munther said they spent the next day trying to find her and posted signs at all nearby trailheads.

They reached out to law enforcement and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, while notifying everyone they could that she was missing.

“We were seeing tons of recreationalists out there … everyone was seeing our signs but no one was seeing our llama,” Munther said.

Sweety is also pregnant, which added another element of urgency, Munther said. They remained in Colorado for another eight or nine days after having lost her, before they had to head back to Oregon.

Three rescue attempts

Shortly after Caruthers learned about the missing llama, she brought her own llamas and their caretakers, Diego and Sebastian Salas, on a day-trip on Sept. 24 into the valley where Sweety had gone missing.

Since llamas are herd animals, Caruthers hoped her llamas would attract Sweety. They scanned the trails for prints and droppings and talked to dozens of hikers and backpackers coming down the mountain that Sunday afternoon. They found and heard nothing.

On Sept. 26, Caruthers and DiNatale decided they needed to camp and search deeper into the valley. This time, the group was joined by the Mounted Rescue Group that searched for signs of Sweety on horseback, and by Animal Rescue Volunteer Andy Petrick from the Southwest Llama Rescue Group.

After three days and two nights, they called off the search.

Caruthers said they left empty-handed and unsure about what to do next, until a hiker spotted Sweety on Oct. 1 at 11,700 feet elevation above where the group had camped.

On Oct. 5, Caruthers, DiNatale, Diego and Sebastian Salas and their llamas began to hike on a second overnight search. They faced thick fog, steep terrain, fallen trees, steep cliffs and more, that made their off-trail journey up the mountain incredibly difficult.

During the first overnight rescue, Petrick said, the group hiked seven miles in. On the second rescue, they hiked in 10 miles.

When they reached a spot to camp for the night on Oct. 6, Caruthers sent Sweety’s owners the coordinates and left a light to signal their position. The llama’s owners flew in from Oregon Friday night, hiked in the dark and were able to find the group.

The next morning, the group was overjoyed when they spotted Sweety on the ridge. Caruthers, DiNatale and the older llamas stayed behind, due to exhaustion. Sweety’s owners, Diego and Sebastian Salas and the young llamas ascended the mountain to find Sweety.

Petrick and a team of flyathletes, people who enjoy running and fishing, arrived later that morning. Petrick used radios to position people strategically to stop Sweety from going over the ridge and encourage her to come toward them.

“It was super stressful when we located her and couldn’t get close to her,” Munther said.

Eventually, Sweety wandered close enough to run past her owners toward the group of llamas that had gone up the mountain. Sebastian Salas was able to grab her around the neck and wrestle her down, while Sweety tried to shake him off. Diego Salas was able to slip in and clipped her to her harness. Sweety was caught on Oct. 7.

“When we caught her, I was just shaking,” Diego Salas said. “It was crazy … I was so relieved.”

Deep ending

Munther said there was “a crazy sense of relief” once they got their hands on Sweety. When they got her down to camp, there was a lot of cheering and hooting and hollering, he said.

Caruthers said once Sweety was captured, her whole demeanor changed and she went from a wild animal to being well behaved, sweet and happy to be led down the mountain. She said everyone wanted to pet Sweety and give her a hug.

Diego Salas said he didn’t know Sweety was pregnant until he got up the mountain.

“We actually saved two llamas,” he said. “It feels great because we all did our part and it all worked out.”

Petrick said most of the llama rescues he conducts are large groups due to them being herd animals, and that it was unusual that Sweety was lost alone. He went into the rescue with eyes open, knowing it would be a challenge.

“You always go in with hope and you hope that you can make something happen. For this one, everything lined up just right,” Petrick said, adding, “We had a fairly large group of people committed to making this happen and it was people who hadn’t known each other weeks before … the effort they put in to coordinate and get people out there was impressive. And I think it is an incredible reflection of the dedication people have for animals.”

Munther said it was remarkable how many people were trying to help and how much money, time and effort they spent to find Sweety, without ever being asked to do so.

“This is a moment that we could contribute,” Caruthers said. “There’s so many things in life that you look at and maybe say ‘I wish I could help,’ but you have neither the skills or the knowledge. And with this, we felt like we could do something.”

Munther said it’s inspiring to see people take on something to help others without being asked.

“Leigh and Fiona went so above and beyond what you could ever ask of anybody you’d never met,” Munther said. “It certainly motivates you to pay it forward, whatever that looks like in the future.”

The investigation found reason to support employee allegations including favoritism, antagonism and micromanagement, according to the investigation report. There were 12 employees who participated in the investigation, and 10 of them raised similar concerns about Hall’s leadership and management, the report said.

The Boulder Reporting Lab was first to report and obtain the investigation report through a public records request.

There were 11 allegations reported by Hall’s employees and six were redacted from the investigation report. According to the Boulder Reporting Lab, redacted parts of the report included claims of sexual harassment. However, the report did not conclude that Hall was culpable of any act of sexual harassment.

Hall said she’s chosen to take some time away from the office to empower the coroner staff and allow her to focus on the broader responsibilities of her role. Hall said she will continue to manage her job tasks and meet with the chief deputy coroner remotely.

“As the Boulder County coroner, I am dedicated to fostering a culture of collaboration, respect and inclusivity within our office,” Hall said in an email. “I have taken the allegations seriously and remain committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all.”

Over the years, Hall said, she’s dedicated extensive hours to the position and now is committed to achieving a healthier work-life balance while still maintaining her full-time duties. Preceding and following the Thanksgiving holiday, she said, she will be taking some time off for a planned family trip.

Hall was elected coroner in 2011 and has been re-elected to the position in every election since. As coroner, Hall is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the coroner’s office and the daily management of cases. She is ultimately responsible for the determination of cause and manner of death for the cases within the office’s jurisdiction.

Investigation

The investigation into Hall took place between June 9 and Aug. 14 when the report was finalized. Employment Matters LLC Flynn Investigations Group was hired to conduct the investigation.

According to the report, employees said their main concern was that Hall manages the Boulder County Coroner’s Office “in any way she sees fit,” and that as an elected official, she feels she is not accountable to anyone except Boulder County voters.

The report said her management and leadership “creates anxiety among BCCO employees because they are constantly in fear for their jobs” due to Hall’s “history of removing or ‘pushing out’ employees she does not like.”

“The BCCO staff interviewed in this process identify that Ms. Hall manages in a ‘my way or the highway’ approach and the majority of employees indicate that Ms. Hall has not displayed any interest in being a collaborative leader or managing the BCCO in a way that would improve their job satisfaction,” the report said.

According to the report, a majority of the staff said that they have considered leaving their jobs because of Hall’s management, “which would continue an already significant trend of turnover.”

Eight employees have left the coroner’s office since 2020, according to the Boulder Reporting Lab.

Allegations

The investigation found it’s “more likely than not” that Hall exhibits favoritism toward certain employees, specifically seeking them out for conversation, sharing personal information with them and and asking them to run personal errands with her.

Seven employees report they perceive Hall exhibits favoritism, the report said, and three confirm Hall has shared personal information with them. In the report, Hall disputes the allegation.

“I don’t feel that favoritism is an accurate description of my working relationships,” Hall said in the report, adding, “They are employees I work the closest with due to their positions and roles they have in the office.”

She added there have been personal conversations with certain employees due to working closely with them for many years.

The investigation found it’s “more likely than not” that Hall exhibits antagonism toward certain employees by ignoring and avoiding them.

One employee claimed in the report that Hall avoided speaking to her, refused to choose her for special projects and shunned her for a period of three months for reasons she didn’t understand.

“I find that Ms. Hall is antagonistic towards employees who have conflicts with her, including those who question her decisions or who criticize her,” the report said. “Ms. Hall has confirmed that she has had conflicts with these employees and that these conflicts have impacted her opinions of these employees and her interest in working with them.”

In terms of allegations of Hall micromanaging employees, the investigation found it “undisputed.”

Several employees report Hall insists that they work alongside her and that she requires them to watch her complete certain tasks to make sure they perform it to her expectations, the report said.

“I have been called a micromanager many times in my career and it is frustrating as it always has a negative connotation,” Hall said in the report, adding, “Many times, this label is used by employees who have no knowledge or appreciation for how the details of their work affect the organization on a deeper level. I am a detail oriented, type A and organized person, and I do take my job and my responsibilities very seriously.”

The investigation also found it’s “undisputed” that Hall uses other employee’s P-cards for office purchases. None of the employees accused Hall of using the P-cards for personal reasons or of misusing county funds.

A P-card is a type of debit or credit card paid for by an employer that employees can use for work-related purchases.

One employee said in the report that others have discussed discomfort with Hall using their P-cards. The employee said they don’t know what Hall charges to their cards but are responsible for all charges, putting them in a tough situation.

Hall said in the report she uses other people’s P-cards due to problems with hers. Because she’s elected, her purchases must be approved by the finance director which is time consuming, she said in the report, and can make it difficult to reconcile the budget.

The investigation did not say whether Hall’s use of P-cards is against protocol or expectations, saying it’s outside of the investigation’s purview.

Employees also said Hall adopts multiple personas related to different job duties she has at the office. The investigation found those claims to be “undisputed.” All of the employees interviewed confirm they’ve seen Hall use different personas, the report said.

Some of the employees said they thought Hall was trying to be funny. Others report being concerned over her mental health and several reported being unsure how to react.

Hall said in the report she created the personas in response to the administrative deputy’s departure. She said the exercise is a “personal journey” to analyze her work habits and make adjustments ahead of the new hire.

Hall created names for her personas, including “Coroner Hall,” in her role as coroner, “Crystal” when doing administrative deputy tasks, and “Emma” in her administrative role. Hall said in the report it was “a way to help me sort the tasks out in my own brain” and handle the extra work.

The report said while her behavior was unsettling to some, no employees said it harmed or interfered with their work.

“Gaps in her management and leadership”

The report concluded that Hall’s “lack of effective managerial skills” appeared to cause a challenging work environment.

“None of the BCCO employees describe that Ms. Hall does not work hard or that she is not effective in developing policies and systems that allow BCCO to run smoothly,” the report said. “However, it is clear that Ms. Hall has significant gaps in her management and leadership skills and that she has not taken significant steps to address those gaps.”

The Boulder County Commissioners said in a statement that the employees in the coroner’s office reached out to the commissioners to make them aware of an ongoing employment investigation following official complaints against Hall.

Although they oversee a separate elected office, the commissioners’ statement said, they were concerned by the complaints and sought assurances that the complaints were being investigated properly and impartially. Although they have no management authority over Hall, who ultimately only answers to the voters, they urged Hall to make changes that would address her staff’s concerns, the statement said.

“We are hopeful, for the sake of coroner’s office staff, that Coroner Hall implements those changes,” the statement said. “In keeping with county values, we believe every employee of every elected office has the right to feel valued, respected and supported in the workplace.”

Hall said she believes every challenge presents an opportunity for personal growth and positive change.

“The nature of the work within the office is undoubtedly challenging, and I am dedicated to providing support for both my staff and the community,” Hall said in an email, adding, “I am dedicated to my continual development as an individual and a leader, ensuring our community receives the best possible service from myself and my staff.”

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