After she says she was groomed by a teacher, here's what one young woman wants changed in the law | WCCO Investigates
WCCO Investigates has been investigating the laws and policies surrounding grooming. We shared the story of Hannah LoPresto who told police was groomed in high school.
She is now speaking out in the hopes of creating awareness and change. WCCO Senior Investigative reporter Jennifer Mayerle discovers some of the loopholes in the law and the proposed solutions.
"This binder is essentially everything that I collected throughout the investigation," LoPresto said.
LoPresto is serious about using what she says happened to her at Eagan High School to protect other students.
"My hope is to get people's attention and hope that they listen and understand and see that this isn't just about what happened to me," LoPresto said.
She wants training to be reinforced for mandated reporters in schools and for the law to be strengthened.
She believes teachers were aware of what she calls grooming behavior by her former band director Brett Benson. She says she told police he later sexually assaulted her on the last day of her senior year. Benson, who was not charged in the case, denies allegations of wrongdoing.
"I remember several teachers specifically who had, walked in, like on us being alone together in a room where didn't need to be. It was a strange time of day. They seemed confused. So I desperately didn't want them to tell, but now, when I look back, that could have saved me if they did tell," LoPresto said.
Her recollection was corroborated as part of an Eagan police investigation conducted by Detective Chad Clausen, with statements from educators in the police report.
"We need to speak up and say something when you see something that doesn't seem safe or seem right," Clausen said.
LoPresto wants mandatory reporters to be required to report maltreatment to include students who are ages 18 through 21. Currently, they only have to report maltreatment to students ages 17 and under.
The changes she wants to see extend to the classroom. She's advocating to add curriculum on consent and to require, rather than merely encourage, sexual abuse prevention curriculum. More than a dozen states currently have both.
"The biggest piece for me would have been to be able to understand what a healthy relationship looks like and being able to identify what we would call red flags of what is something that is potentially abusive or not," LoPresto said.
She thinks there's room for improvement in the process for revoking a teacher's license. The district put Benson on administrative leave during the investigation. He later resigned.
LoPresto wants the Department of Education to be able to lift the three-year statute of limitations.
"There are some loopholes there where they're restricted to when they can investigate incidents. That's concerning," Clausen said.
"They could look into the more recent events of what this teacher had done in this school. They weren't allowed to talk to me because I was more than three years prior. It just doesn't make any sense to me why there'd be a statute of limitations on looking into child sexual abuse at school," LoPresto said.
On that note, LoPresto would like to reduce the burden of proof for having a teaching license revoked. She'd also like to see grooming be its own chargeable offense.
"I think that that's a big miss, because it feels almost as if then you're waiting for it to escalate, right? We should be able to cut it off sooner," LoPresto said.
LoPresto has met with leaders in District 196 in an effort to prevent abuse at her alma mater.
Looking for change with mandated reporter training, sexual abuse prevention education, requiring students to be in groups of two or more when with a teacher or chaperone on overnight field trips and creating a new policy on responding to sexual abuse.
A representative told WCCO it thanks Hannah for her advocacy and the district "... continue to review our practices around student safety and update our policies and practices."
The district did adopt a new policy this year titled: "Employee-Student Relationships," reinforcing "an educational environment in which all students are treated with respect and dignity."
One section reads: "Sexual relationships between school district employees and students, without regard to the age of the student, are strictly forbidden and may subject the employee to criminal liability."
LoPresto says through this process she realized the value of speaking up and is determined to make a difference.
"To see how you can take something so terrible, something that fills you with shame and guilt and fear and just see how far you can go. It's just taught me that perseverance and bravery really can get you far if you're willing to just keep going," LoPresto said.
One law has changed since LoPresto was in school: Counties can now prosecute a person in position of authority of a student ages 18 and up to 21. According to a document provided by LoPresto, the Dakota County Attorney's Office said it turned down charging Benson in her case because the law at that time didn't allow it to.
Benson resigned from Eagan High School. He later voluntarily surrendered his teaching license. No charges were filed in this case.
Benson provided a statement:
"I vehemently deny any allegations of wrongdoing. They are replete with mischaracterizations, exaggerations, and false statements that are wholly inconsistent with who I am as a person and who I was as a teacher. I deeply cared for the well-being of every student I have ever taught. The thorough
police and Minnesota Department of Education investigations are closed, resulting in no criminal charges and findings of no student maltreatment. Now, however, I am compelled to defend myself against unproven allegations being aired in the public sphere. I strenuously object to this story, which violates core principles of journalistic ethics. My family and I are thankful this extensive investigation is closed."
Full statement from District 196:
"District 196 wants to thank Hannah for her advocacy for student safety. We are fully committed to educating and protecting our students.
In District 196, we encourage students and/or families to talk to a trusted adult in our schools, use our confidential tip line (found on secondary school websites), or contact local police to report any suspicious behavior.
All District staff receive information during onboarding and annually thereafter about their responsibilities as mandated reporters of any maltreatment of a minor and harassment. It is reiterated at the school level and through District communications.
While state and federal privacy laws don't allow us to comment on this specific situation, we work directly with local law enforcement and state agencies to immediately respond to complaints and concerns relating to alleged criminal misconduct or maltreatment by employees. Mandated reports regarding staff members are filed with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). When MDE opens an investigation, we work collaboratively with them and law enforcement to investigate. The district takes action related to employee discipline and employment status based on the outcomes. "
Sexual Assault Resources
- (SOS – Ramsey County)
- Sexual Violence Center (SVC – Hennepin County)
- Aurora Center (U of MN)
- 360 Communities (Dakota County)
- Hope Center (Rice County)
- Canvas Health (Washington County)
- Alexandra House (Anoka County)
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
General Sexual Assault Websites:
