Osseo Schools To Pay $61K After Assistant Principal Sexually Harassed 9-Year-Old Student, State Says

OSSEO, MN — Osseo Area Schools will pay $61,500 and issue a written apology to a former student after an assistant principal sexually harassed her when she was nine years old, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

The department announced Tuesday that it reached a settlement with the district after finding it violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by failing to prevent and stop the harassment during the 2021-22 school year.

Investigators found that the assistant principal used his authority “both as a school leader and an adult” to harass the fourth-grader, telling her he “could not stop looking at her,” seeking her out for contact, and inappropriately touching her.

The department said the district “knew or should have known” about the misconduct through credible reports from students, teachers, and the child’s parents but “took no meaningful action.”

“As demonstrated here, when a Minnesota school knows or should have known about discrimination and harassment, and fails to take meaningful action to prevent it, it not only causes tremendous harm to the student and their family, but it also violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act,” said Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero.

“Despite a rapidly shifting civil rights enforcement landscape at the federal level, this case demonstrates that Minnesota is not backing down from its civil rights laws.”

The student’s parents said in a statement: “What happened was wrong and unjust. School districts should continue to be held accountable when discrimination, harassment, or any misconduct occurs. We are grateful to have received some form of justice in this situation.”

As part of the settlement, the district must also hold a listening session with the student and her parents and implement staff training, policies, and monitoring to prevent future discrimination. The Department of Human Rights will oversee compliance for the next five years.

The agency said Minnesota law requires schools to address and prevent harassment and discrimination, quoting the Minnesota Court of Appeals: “Students should not be required to ‘shop’ among schools and districts to obtain a discrimination-free education,” because “[s]chools play a pivotal role in a young person’s development and intellectual, mental, and emotional health.”