Minnesota lawmakers set to push for anti-grooming laws in 2026 session
Last fall, Hannah LoPresto came forward to say she was groomed and sexually assaulted by her band director. She told WCCO she wants her experience to change laws to better protect kids.
The WCCO Investigates series last October prompted lawmakers to take action. Now, they're introducing legislation this session.
"Just protecting our kids from this in particular is to me a big deal," said Republican Minnesota Rep. Peggy Bennett. "We've come up with quite a few different changes to law that would help strengthen the reporting, strengthen the chaperone rules."
Bennett, a longtime educator, met with LoPresto last fall.
"I was groomed by my band director from freshman year through senior year," LoPresto told Bennett. "Slowly, over time, he would just try to normalize touching me or talking to me in a certain way."
Bennett says introducing laws around grooming is personal for her.
"I experienced the same thing Hannah did when I was in high school," Bennett said. "To me, I'm shocked that it's still happening, that we don't have better guardrails to stop that."
That's why she wanted to work with LoPresto to fix what she says failed them. Bennett is proposing making grooming a standalone criminal offense — a felony punishable by prison and/or a fine.
"It would give the licensing board jurisdiction to remove a license if somebody's been convicted of grooming," Bennett said.
A colleague across the aisle, DFL Rep. Bianca Virnig, is also working with the state's teacher licensing and standards board on improvements.
"There's kind of four main components to the changes, and I think they would increase transparency, improve data sharing, reduce traumatizing the victims and close some loopholes," Virnig said.
Virnig says LoPresto's drive to make an impact for others prompted her to act.
"What happened to her was pretty tragic and disappointing, but she really has done well with it, like strength, courage, persistence," Virnig said.
Bennett says the goal is to better protect students and educators, like requiring training on grooming and what an educator's role is as a mandated reporter.
Another part establishes boundaries for field trips or overnighters.
"An adult should not be alone with a student," Bennett said. "That just makes it very clear you can't do that to me. That's common sense."
Bennett's bill could be heard as early as next week. Virnig is finalizing language in her bill and hopes it will get a hearing soon.
Another DFL representative, Liz Reyer, says she's drafting legislation to make sure the system "no longer fails" and "that the burden does not fall on victims."
