CDE Fraud Reporting and Investigation Process

The Colorado Department of Education is dedicated to addressing fraud in Colorado.

Fraud is defined as an intentional act of deception, misrepresentation, or concealment in order to gain something of value. Fraud includes false representation of fact, making false statements, or concealment of information. Occupational fraud by a state employee or contractor is defined as a situation in which a state employee or contractor (i.e., an individual acting under a contract, purchase order, or other similar agreement for the procurement of goods and services with a state agency) uses their position or access as an employee or contractor to commit fraud against the State or others.

If you think you might have come in contact with fraudulent behavior involving the use of federal or state education funding by an employee or contractor of an LEA or by a grantee of a CDE-administered program, please report to one of the following:

CDE’s Chief District Operations Officer (CDOO), Sheldon Rosenkrance (rosenkrance_s@cde.state.co.us) for reports involving state education funding.
U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) hotline for reports involving funding managed by the U.S. Department of Education (i.e., federally funded programs, including federal student loans, programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most recently reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), or any of the federal Education Stabilization Funds (ESF), such as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds).
USDA OIG hotline form for reports of fraud involving funding through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs or the Summer Food Service Program.

If you think you might have come in contact with fraudulent behavior involving occupational fraud by a CDE employee, other state employee or contractor for CDE or other state agency, please, please report to one of the following:

CDE’s Chief Talent Officer, Margarita Tovar (tovar_m@cde.state.co.us)
Office of the State Auditor Fraud Hotline