AURORA | A former Aurora school resource officer is facing three misdemeanor charges after he was accused of inappropriately texting a female high school student last year.
Former Officer Edige Ndagije was a school resource officer at Aurora Central High School. The Aurora Police Department, the agency that employs school resource officers, launched an internal investigation in October, 2023 when they received a complaint of Ndagijie’s alleged misconduct.
According to the department’s internal affairs report, Ndagije researched the teenage girl and her family members on criminal search databases, then he showed the search results to the student.
He also took a photo of the student without their knowledge and gave the student his personal cell phone number, according to the report.
The student contacted Ndagije to get advice and report a potential domestic violence situation when Ndagije began asking inappropriate and unprofessional questions, according to police. Ndagije then failed to file a report about the incident, according to the internal affairs investigation.
When Ndagije was placed on administrative leave following the internal affairs investigation, a supervisor found the student’s personal belongings in his bag. The internal affairs report does not specify what items were found in the bag.
APD spokesperson Joe Moylan said that Ndagije resigned before the investigation ended, but that he would have been terminated.
Former APD interim Chief Art Acevedo notified the Colorado POST Board, and requested that the Colorado Bureau of Investigations conduct their own criminal investigation.
The Colorado POST board revoked his certification, making him ineligible for hire in Colorado.
Aurora Public School spokesperson Corey Christiansen said that the school district has “been fully supportive of APD’s investigation into the conduct of one of its former employees. We take all reports of misconduct seriously and want to emphasize that safety is our top priority.”
According to a complaint filed on March 6 at the Arapahoe County Justice Center, Ndagije faces three counts of first degree misconduct, all misdemeanors.
The girl’s attorney, Matthew Haltzman, said that the family wants justice. They hope that Ndagije does not serve as an officer anywhere in the country and that he does not interact with children in the future.
Haltzman spoke about the importance of children telling their parents about uncomfortable situations.
Ndagije is scheduled to appear in court May 31 at the Arapahoe County Justice Center.