Gunnison High School teacher arrested and charged with sexual assault

Class 3 felony

By Kendra Walker

A Gunnison Watershed School District employee has been charged with a crime involving a student. On Friday, May 24, at 9:39 a.m., Gunnison High School math teacher, basketball coach and track and field coach Thomas Kattnig, 56, was arrested and charged with Sexual Assault on a Child by One in a Position of Trust. Kattnig has been a teacher with the district since 1996. 

The Gunnison Police Department did the investigation, and the case is under the jurisdiction of the 7th Judicial District. Sexual Assault on a Child by One in a Position of Trust is a class 3 felony. In Colorado, this charge reflects “any actor who knowingly subjects another not his or her spouse to any sexual contact, commits sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust if the victim is a child less than eighteen years of age and the actor committing the offense is one in a position of trust with respect to the victim,” according to Colorado state statute.

In an email to district staff, Gunnison Watershed School District superintendent Leslie Nichols explained that Kattnig was placed on administrative leave on January 29 due to a report from a student to a district staff person that led to a mandatory report to law enforcement. “Law enforcement’s investigation did not lead to charges. Our own internal investigation of harassment just concluded this past week,” she said. 

During the investigation and while Kattnig was already on administrative leave, another report was received on April 2 by a district staff person that also led to a mandatory report to law enforcement. “This second investigation by law enforcement resulted in these criminal charges,” Nichols said. An investigator for the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office executed an arrest warrant against Kattnig for the crime of Sexual Assault on a Child by One in a Position of Trust.

Nichols shared that students and parents involved in these cases were notified of Kattnig’s arrest on Friday, and the district also sent a required notice of employee criminal charges to parents of all students who have attended Gunnison High School since 2021, when the alleged crime occurred.

“To protect the privacy of the alleged victim and to ensure the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we cannot share further information at this time. The District is focused on supporting our students and providing a safe learning environment,” she said in a letter to parents. 

Nichols also reminded district staff and parents that an arrest is not a statement of guilt, and Kattnig is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. 

“The District recognizes the gravity of these allegations, and we are committed to supporting our students during this difficult time,” she said. “We remain committed to all students’ safety. GHS has a crisis response team in place for students to reach out for support.”

She concluded, “Again, this is hard information. I’m holding our students, our families, and all of you close as we process this together.”

Kattning posted a $50,000 Personal Recognizance bond after his arrest and was released. He appeared in Delta County court on May 29, after the CB News deadline for the week.