By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 9, 2026 at 9:56 AM
A lawsuit has been filed against St. John’s Lutheran Church and School in Denver, with allegations of mishandling a sexual assault case involving a former student. The lawsuit claims that the church and school officials failed to protect a 13-year-old girl from a music director, Diego Marroquin, who is accused of sexually assaulting her in May 2022. The suit also alleges that the institution did not properly screen or supervise Marroquin, who was serving as the interim music director and technical coordinator.
The allegations extend beyond the initial assault, suggesting that Marroquin engaged in inappropriate behavior with other students, including sharing sexually explicit material. The lawsuit contends that these actions were warning signs that St. John’s failed to recognize or address adequately. This case follows a criminal investigation that led to charges against Marroquin in 2023 for sexual assault on a child under 15 by a person in a position of trust. However, in January 2025, these charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement, with Marroquin pleading guilty to a lesser charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor with a sexual factual.
In response, St. John’s issued a statement disputing several key allegations, particularly those suggesting that staff members pressured the victim to recant or failed to report the abuse. The church emphasized that two staff members reported the allegations to authorities in compliance with Colorado’s mandatory reporting laws.
This situation highlights significant concerns about accountability and governance within religious organizations, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding public trust and ensuring the integrity of institutions responsible for the welfare of children. As the community reflects on these events, it is reminded of the biblical call for justice and care for the vulnerable, as encapsulated in Micah 6:8, which urges doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
