Mankato football coach suspended from job

The Minnesota State University-Mankato football coach cleared by a judge of child porn charges has been issued a 20-day unpaid suspension from his job.

Todd Hoffner has been on paid leave since videos of his children were discovered on a university-issued cell phone. Charges in the case were thrown out. But the university has not completed an investigation of the case.

In a statement, the university confirmed "Todd Hoffner's administrative leave ended on Monday, Dec. 17 and he remains on the university's payroll."

The school wouldn't comment on the nature of the investigation or the suspension. But spokesman Dan Benson said Hoffner remains a coach at the university.

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"Todd Hoffner is a football coach at Minnesota State-Mankato but at this time, Aaron Keen is serving as the acting head football coach," Benson said.

Hoffner is currently serving out the first year in a four-year contract. That document says Hoffner can be dismissed for just cause if he violates the law or university policies and professional judgements and standards.

The Inter Faculty Organization is working with Hoffner to help the 46-year-old coach get his job back at the university. The IFO is the collective bargaining unit for the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system.

The union has filed a grievance against the university challenging Hoffner's suspension, which starts on Jan. 7.

"The grievance charges that the university failed to follow progressive discipline and did not have just cause to issue the suspension," IFO attorney Connie Howard said in an email.