DENVER, Colorado — Beaver Creek’s human resources director testified Friday regarding a criminal background check on a former ski instructor being sued by a woman he was acquitted of raping.
Beaver Creek Ski Resort’s HR Director Lynne Rossman told a jury in federal court in Denver that she did not know the lengthy criminal past of former ski instructor David Lorenzen, 45, until after he was charged with raping his then 17-year-old skiing student.
“(Lorenzen) was an employee for 17 years and had not a blemish on his records,” said Rossman.
Rossman said she was solely responsible for doing background checks on the resort’s employee.
Edwin Aro, an attorney for Vail Resorts, said in an e-mail Sunday that Rossman testified earlier that she ran a background check in December 2004. A printed copy of that report was admitted in evidence, which showed DUI convictions in 2002 and 2003, but not earlier incidents from 1989, 1994 and 1995. Aro said such background checks typically only show incidents from the previous seven years.
The client, now 19, and her mother are seeking $2 million to $5 million in damages from Vail Resorts in a federal court case that began last Monday in Denver.
The plaintiff’s attorneys maintain that girl was raped in January 2006 when she willingly went to Lorenzen’s apartment during a ski lesson. He was found not guilty of the rape by an Eagle County jury last year but given probation for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Lorenzen has an arrest record dating back to 1989 for possession of marijuana, criminal mischief, trespassing, vehicle theft and contempt of court, as well as DUIs in 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2002.
The woman’s attorney, John Pineau, claims that Vail should have known Lorenzen was a danger to the resort’s clients, but continually rehired him.
[...] Background checks focus of suit involving Vail Resorts « M&K …Jul 28, 2008 … Edwin Aro, an attorney for Vail Resorts, said in an e-mail Sunday that Rossman testified earlier that she ran a background check in December … December 10th, 2011 | [...]