A longtime special education teacher in the St. Paul school district is being investigated by police after a 14-year-old special education student said the teacher had sexually assaulted her, and told her not to tell anybody about it.
Police searched the suspect's house on Oct. 1, looking for child pornography, and removed a laptop computer, as well as two computer hard drives, and a plastic bag that had pictures in it. Police also searched two classrooms at Humboldt, and the school district's central administration building.
No charges have been filed, and the teacher is not in custody. According to the St. Paul school district, the teacher has been on paid administrative leave since Sept. 25, pending further investigation.
Police spokesman Peter Panos confirmed that the search warrant was served, and said that "at this point, there was no evidence gathered that would substantiate the allegations."
According to the St. Paul school district, the girl's mother contacted the school district in September raising concerns about the teacher.
According to the search warrant:
The girl had transferred from Humboldt Junior High to Battle Creek Middle School before the 2008-09 school year, because her mother thought she was stressed at Humboldt.
On Sept. 19, the teacher left Humboldt abruptly one day saying he had a doctor's appointment, and went to visit the girl's classroom at Battle Creek.
He spoke to her outside of the classroom, and "told her that she looked nice because she had lost weight and looked pretty in her skirt."
The mother told police she had become suspicious of the teacher's visits with her daughter, and that twice over the last year, the teacher has called the girl's home and left messages asking about her welfare. The mother also noticed behavioral changes in her daughter.
During an interview with the Midwest Children's Resource Center, the girl said that the teacher had once "put her on his desk and sexually assaulted her in his classroom," having sex with her. Once he was finished, the search warrant alleges, "he told her not to tell anybody and to go back to class."
The girl also told a school social worker that while she attended Humboldt, the teacher would "hit her breast area" when he leaned over her from behind and had shown her pictures of himself as a young adult wearing only underwear.
The St. Paul school district is sending a letter home with Humboldt students today saying that an unnamed teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave pending "an investigation into this employee's conduct."
Commander Shari Gray, who heads the St. Paul police sex-crimes unit, said today that the case was being presented to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office for consideration of charges.
She added that the teacher "was very cooperative with the investigation."
The district is also conducting its own investigation into the teacher, who has also coached various high school sports in the district, including baseball.
"We're working with the family to provide the girl with whatever she needs" in terms of district or outside resources, said Denise Quinlan, executive director of the middle grades for the school district.
" . . .School should be the safest place in the world for kids to go to."
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This is absolutely disgusting, and what's even more disgusting is that it seems like there are more and more of these reports every year. I hope its because kids aren't afraid to say something, instead of there being more idiot teachers who take advantage of kids. These fools give all of us who teach a bad reputation, and it is absolutely ridiculous. And...on top of it, this man allegedly took advantage of a young lady with a cognitive disability. I thought it was important that we took care of those who were the "weakest" of us.
Seriously. BLECH.