Jeff Mason, former Palisade Band Director, was arrested on November 8th, following a Title IX investigation over inappropriate relations with a female student. He has been charged with first degree official misconduct and attempting to influence a public servant.
Mason, age 46, had been employed at Palisade for many years before resigning over this past summer. Mason’s affidavit says that the district let him resign as opposed to dismissing him after the investigation was launched. Grand Junction PD met with the student and her mother who gave them four alleged examples of sexual misconduct between her and Mason. According to The Daily Sentinel, Mason would hold long, unwanted, awkward hugs, even when the student would show her discomfort. On top of this, she reported that while on a school sponsored band trip, she and Mason allegedly laid in the same bed and he wrapped his legs around her, although Mason did deny doing this. Mason claimed to have bought the student $200 worth of gifts, but the student, who had a detailed list, said the value was much more, including a $400 camera, build-a-bears, Ray Ban sunglasses, and much more. Mason would often allegedly give the student rides in his personal vehicle, and the Title IX investigation found that he had visited the students house multiple times, and steps were taken to make sure her parents did not know about his visits. According to the affidavit, Mason allegedly lied to Title IX investigators in an attempt to influence the investigation, leading to another charge on his arrest. Mason’s court date was set for Wednesday November 15, but details have yet to come out.
We understand that this may be a hard topic for many, and if you need to reach out to someone at the school, whether it be us, a counselor, or a trusted teacher, please do. You are not alone in these feelings and we here at Palisade High School are here to help you.