Former Brooklyn Park school counselor sentenced to 90 days in jail for recording student changing

A judge on Monday sentenced a former Twin Cities school counselor who recorded a student changing in his classroom to 90 days in jail, followed by three years of probation, court documents show.

Jason Polzin, 50, pleaded guilty last month to interference with the privacy of a minor under 18.

The victim, identified as a 13-year-old girl, told police that Polzin allowed her to change clothes in his classroom before her softball game on April 17, 2024, according to the criminal complaint. She said she had been changing when she noticed his phone was in the room and pointing at her. 

Court documents said the girl checked the phone and saw that it was recording.

According to the complaint, the girl said the video showed Polzin looking at the door before he set the phone down and aimed it toward where she would be changing. She told police she felt "confused and angry" when she found out she had been recorded.

The girl deleted the video and confronted Polzin about it, court documents said. He claimed it was an accident. 

The complaint said the girl then reported the incident to school personnel, adding that Polzin would give her rides and invited her to go on his boat. 

Polzin had been a counselor at Maranatha Christian Academy in Brooklyn Park at the time of the incident. The school says it was made aware of the allegations against Polzin on May 23, 2024, and immediately placed him on administrative leave and notified parents. His employment was terminated on June 3, 2024.

Charges say police conducted a search warrant at Polzin's Prior Lake home, where they seized "a number" of electronic devices, in which they found 52 photos of the girl, most of which had been taken in Polzin's school office. There were an additional 165 photos of her face on a computer-generated female body, including criminal sexual abuse material.

If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.

To report concerns about child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families recommends contacting the county or Tribal Nation where the child lives. You can find a list of Minnesota's county and tribal child protection agencies by clicking here. If there is an immediate concern of harm to the child, the agency recommends calling 911.