The executive director of Young Tracks Preschool and Day Care Center has been removed from the position as the investigation into alleged child abuse at the facility continues, according to a statement from the Young Tracks board of directors.

Kim Martin, 58, and “staff members subject to allegations of abuse” no longer work for Young Tracks as of Thursday, according to the statement.

The terminations followed the Feb. 7 arrest of one of the teachers, Alma Amparan Montes, 26, after Steamboat Springs police investigated reports of abuse received by the Routt County Department of Human Services.

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According to the affidavit for arrest, several witnesses, including two teachers, reported to Human Services that Montes “grabs (the children) by their arms and legs, shakes them and lays them down roughly causing them to hit their heads on the wall.”

Witnesses also stated seeing Montes using “her long fingernails to press on the children’s windpipe,” and “lay on the children to make them fall asleep,” according to the affidavit.

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The Colorado Department of Early Childhood subsequently shut down Young Tracks on Feb. 11 after Steamboat Springs Police Chief Mark Beckett told the department on Feb. 9 that he “believes that the children at the facility are in imminent danger of child abuse.”

According to the license suspension order issued by the Department of Early Childhood, Martin has allegedly “known about the abuse and has interfered with parents contacting the department or law enforcement and parents were afraid to come forward.”

The Young Tracks board of directors’ statement, which was sent to students’ parents and guardians, added that the board is “seeking expert guidance” to determine next steps in serving young children in the county.

“We understand the gravity of the recent events and the impact this situation and the closure of the school are having on all of you and our community,” the statement continued. “The board of directors was both surprised and alarmed by the events of the past week and unfortunately only has limited information at this point in time.”

According to a Steamboat Springs Police Department and District Attorney’s Office news release, victims of the alleged child abuse have all been encouraged to seek medical attention, including forensic exams.

Local law enforcement has no authority over licensing and is not involved in the decision to close or reopen Young Tracks, according to the news release. The future of Young Track’s license to operate is unclear.

“Our primary goal is to restore a functioning childcare operation under new leadership to meet the needs of the community,” continues the statement issued by the Young Tracks board. “We are uncertain of the timeline at this moment, but intend to provide an update to parents as soon as possible.”

The Steamboat Springs Police Department and District Attorney’s Office news release added that “some of the information circulating (in the community) is not accurate” and “nothing good comes from the spread of inaccurate information or the irresponsible dissemination of threats or calls for violence or retribution.”

The release also emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and law enforcement agencies are limited in what they can share to “preserve the integrity of the case” and to “ensure that any accused person receives a fair process in court.”

“We are reviewing the evidence and are prepared to vigorously defend Ms. Montes against these allegations,” said the attorney for Montes, Stacy Marczak-Grande, in a previous statement. “We want to emphasize that Ms. Montes maintains her innocence and is fully cooperating with the legal process. We urge the public to refrain from rushing to judgment and allow the justice system to take its course.”

According to Steamboat police Sgt. Evan Noble, law enforcement has conducted “numerous” interviews in collaboration with “multiple” agencies.

“We are committed to not leaving any stone unturned regarding this investigation,” Noble said. “The complexity and span of this investigation are immense and we are asking for the community’s patience as we work tirelessly for the justice of these young victims.”

Noble added that law enforcement is “not ruling out” the possibility of more victims being identified or more charges being filed. He could not say whether there would be future arrests.