A one-time Colorado “counselor of the year” is accused of sexually assaulting a female student over several years — and threatened to kill herself if the girl ever came forward, according to police.
Cassandra Poncelow, 40, met her accuser in her high school counseling office in the Poudre School District in Fort Collins, Colo. — and later began bringing her to her home for “sleepovers,” according to court documents obtained by 9News.
The student — who is now an adult — met with police in July and claimed she was assaulted more than 100 times over several years at Poncelow’s home.
Police did not say exactly when the alleged assaults occurred, but Poncelow worked for the school district from 2007 to 2024.
The student told police she felt like she wanted to die after the alleged sexual assault — but claimed Poncelow told her, “If you tell anyone, I’ll kill myself,” according to CBS News, citing the police report.
Poncelow — who has since become sober — later expressed shame, claiming she fell in love with the student while accepting that it “was not okay,” according to the police report.
“Lack of boundary, not okay. The power difference, not okay. It was wrong,” she allegedly said.
Poncelow was named Colorado’s 2016 “counselor of the year” by the Colorado School Counseling Association and was a finalist for the American School Counselor of the Year award in 2018, the Coloradoan reported.
She was arrested Tuesday and is charged with sexual assault, sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, criminal attempt to commit sexual exploitation of children and aggravated sexual assault on a client by a psychotherapist.
She is being held at the Larimer County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
A Poudre School District spokesman told CBS News the allegations are “deeply troubling” and said the district has cooperated with police as they continue to investigate.
The Colorado Department of Human Services was first tipped off about the allegations in 2023, but when it contacted the alleged victim, she denied there was anything sexual about their relationship, according to 9News.
The case was closed until the former student agreed to come forward last month.
Poncelow’s LinkedIn profile shows she worked as a part-time counselor and engagement specialist from 2011 to 2024.
Her last job was listed as a full-time freshman counselor at the Center for High School Success.
She was “immediately placed on leave” hours after her arrest Tuesday, the school said.
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