This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Authorities in Colorado have begun a criminal investigation into Columbine High School, known around the world for its mass shooting there in 1999, after officials there falsely claimed an underage student was homeless so that she could move in with her female teacher.

And why the school's actions all were concealed from the student's concerned parents.

A report from a local CBS affiliate says the Jefferson County sheriff's office is doing the criminal investigation.

"This is not a story, this is a nightmare," the mother told the station's Shaun Boyd.

The family's names have been withheld in reporting.

It was three years ago that the mom found paperwork in her daughter's room revealing that teachers, counselors and even the principal had developed a plan to help her daughter run away from home.

"This was deliberate, it was calculated, it was intentional," the mom explained.

The school reportedly helped the student, a 17-year-old girl, lie on a federal form declaring she was homeless, then hid it from her parents.

An investigator hired by the school confirmed the student "was involved in an inappropriate relationship with social studies teacher Leann Kearney. They say Kearney was 'grooming' the girl," according to CBS.

School emails obtained through an open records case "show counselors purposefully kept the parents in the dark while they helped their daughter declare herself homeless so she could move in with a teacher," the report said.

It continued, "While counselors helped the girl fill out the form, they say Columbine Principal Scott Christy also knew about the girl's plans and didn't tell her parents."

When the mom originally uncovered the scandalous behavior, and confronted the principal with evidence, she was told, "Kearney takes interest in helping kids navigate their sexuality."

The teacher shortly later quit, and eventually lost her teaching license. But the results included the daughter, when she turned 18, leaving her home and being found months later, with Kearney.

The CBS report said there could have been a motivation behind the school's agenda, as, "Jefferson County receives hundreds of thousands of dollars for students who are homeless."

The district denied that.

The criminal investigation is reviewing, among other things, why the school employees "filled out a federal form claiming the girl was homeless when they knew she wasn't, even discussing in emails how to conceal it from her parents by not using their contact information."