Charges: Special ed teacher inappropriately touched students

A special education teacher has been charged with multiple felony counts, including inappropriate contact with special needs students at two Anoka county schools and possessing inappropriate pictures of students.

Bail was set Wednesday at $750,000 for 48-year-old David Harrell of Chaska. Harrell served as an interpreter for deaf and hard of hearing students in the St. Francis and Spring Lake Park school districts, but was employed by Northeast Metro School District Intermediate 916 based in White Bear Lake. He's been on paid administrative leave since May 2014.

Last May, employees in the St. Francis School District saw two female students sitting on Harell's lap, according to the charges.

A forensic investigation of his work computer revealed thousands of inappropriate images of children taken in his classrooms.

Officials at Intermediate District 916 say two background checks were performed on Harrell after his hiring in 2003 and neither turned up any criminal history.

The district will discuss the charges against Harrell at its next regular meeting on April 7. Harrell's next Anoka County District Court appearance is April 21.

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