The board that has authority over teaching licenses in Minnesota says it’s not legally obligated to report allegations of teachers’ sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior to law enforcement.
In a review of public records and interviews with law enforcement, KSTP-TV found the Minnesota Board of Teaching failed to report at least 17 teachers accused of such allegations dating back to the 1980s. The board conducts internal investigations and determines what qualifies as criminal behavior.
“The specifics behind some of this conduct often may reflect unacceptable and unprofessional behavior and/or boundary violations, but do not constitute criminal conduct and law-enforcement involvement,” Alex Liuzzi, the board’s interim executive director, said in a statement.
But law-enforcement authorities say the board is not capable of making such determinations and is putting students at risk.
