Westminster Police Department took into custody a Mountain Range High School administrator and head football coach on Monday, Tate Drane, age 27, on accusations of child exploitation, as reported by KDVR. Drane is facing three charges, sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, internet sexual exploitation of a child, and internet luring of a child. Adams 12 Five Star Schools informed parents that Drane had been placed on administrative leave and would not resume his duties in the district until an indefinite period.
Amidst the allegations, Mountain Range High School administrators could not be reached for comments on Drane’s employment status on Monday afternoon. According to the school’s student handbook for the 2024-25 academic year, Drane served as a dean of students. His LinkedIn profile indicates an employment tenure of three and a half years with Adams 12 Five Star Schools while his biography on X.com confirms his role as the women’s basketball head coach at the same high school, along with being the head coach for Thornton High School’s football team. Nevertheless, as per The Denver Post, details regarding Drane’s court appearance have not been determined and his name was absent from Adams County Jail records by Monday afternoon.
Drane’s association with the Adams 12 Five Star Schools dates back to 2018, having held multiple positions, Dean of Students, physical education teacher at Rocky Top Middle School, and coaching roles across various sports and schools, as detailed by 9NEWS. Over the recent weekend, several allegations of Drane’s misconduct surfaced through Safe2Tell, a service that allows anonymous reporting. These reports accused Drane of sending inappropriate photos to a minor…