School Resource Officer Terminated for Affair with Elementary School Teacher While On-Duty
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Kluth initially lied during internal affairs investigation about whether any sexual activities happened while in uniform.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Kluth was terminated for cause April 2 after an internal affairs investigation revealed he had a months-long affair – including a sexual interaction while on-duty – with a teacher at an elementary school where he patrolled as school resource officer in the 2024 school year.
Kluth was assigned to four elementary schools for that year, including Stone Mountain Elementary, Saddle Ranch Elementary and Eldorado Elementary in Highlands Ranch. Which elementary this happened is redacted in the reports.
According to the investigation report, Kluth met with the teacher after work off-duty, as well as between classes and during the teacher’s lunch breaks while Kluth was in uniform, often in nearby parks or in his patrol vehicle.
The principal of the elementary — names of which are also redacted in the report — described Kluth at the time to reporting deputies as acting ''flirtatious and beyond the scope of his responsibility" towards one of the staff members in their office, and that he had a “level of authority while interacting with female staff members that goes beyond what should be a traditional workplace relationship.”
The principal also told reporting deputies that they heard similar concerns about Kluth’s flirtatious behavior towards female staff from two other principals, quoting one that said Kluth reached out to a teacher via social media in an attempt to develop a relationship outside of school and the teacher found it awkward. The investigation does not follow-up on this claim.
Kluth had transferred to Rocky Canyon High School for the 2025 school year by the time of investigation, and the reporting principal also expressed concerns about this new assignment due to his flirtatious behavior.
“I don't have any evidence of this at all, so it was only a concern of - if he is doing this with - you know - pretty young staff members, if that would be something he would continue with in high school girls,” the principal said in the report. The report later says “there is no evidence or information to suggest Deputy Kluth poses a risk with high school students...”
The report details Kluth’s employment history, stating that he has been with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office since 2007, had been an SRO before from 2011 until 2016, and then again at the elementary schools in Highlands Ranch recently.
Kluth declined to comment when reached by phone by Blue Surveillance.
Interviewed in the investigation report, Kluth said the affair lasted about two months and initially stated that no sexual acts occurred on duty besides kissing, though later admitted that there had been one sexual act off school property during the day. This lie is what caused the credibility report to be issued by DCSO.
He also admitted to currently having an affair with another teacher at the time of the internal affairs interview.
The investigation sustained policy violations of sexual misconduct, on- and off-duty conduct, exercising discretion, and commission of a deceptive act.
