State authorities suspect that an Edina High School teacher who also was a longtime Hornets assistant girls' basketball coach has been accessing child pornography online "for several years."
The allegations came in a search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court seeking permission to search the teacher's school-issued computer and his Bloomington home.
The 49-year-old social studies teacher was put on paid administrative leave Thursday, school district spokeswoman Susan Brott said. In a statement released later by the district, school officials said he would not be teaching or attending school functions, and his employment status would be determined at the conclusion of the investigation.
"We understand that any such news about a school district employee is unsettling," the statement said. "We take all allegations against our staff seriously and remain committed to providing safe, enriching learning environment for all students."
The teacher coached basketball from 2003 until 2015, Brott said. He joined the district at Valley View Middle School and moved to the neighboring high school in 2006, she said.
Once district officials learned of the allegations, they began their own investigation, Brott added. "We have no knowledge" of the teacher harming any students, she said.
Messages left Tuesday with the teacher seeking a response to the allegations were not answered. Charges have yet to be filed and he is not in jail. The Star Tribune typically does not name suspects before they are charged.
According to the court filing made by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force:
