Minnesota lawmaker drafting legislation to protect students from 'predatory grooming'
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Rep. Liz Reyer, DFL-Eagan, said she is exploring how to toughen the state’s laws around sexual misconduct by educators. Her ideas include improving sexual education, possibly extending the statute of limitations for maltreatment investigations by the Department of Education and coming up with a legal definition for “grooming.”
“The work that I'm doing is to really work on the definitions and what are the behaviors that can't occur.” Reyer said.
This comes after a story by MPR News detailed an investigation by Eagan police that concluded an alleged “pattern of predatory grooming” by former high school music teacher Brett Benson. A detective there produced a 100-page report following an investigation that went on for nearly two years. No charges were ever filed for any of the allegations, and Benson denied doing anything inappropriate.
Reyer has been in contact with Hannah LoPresto, one of the students whom the Eagan police report alleged Benson had groomed.
“What's most really striking about this: how the system itself has not gone far enough, and the burden fell on these people who rose to the occasion,” Reyer said.
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Below is a transcript of the conversation edited for length and clarity. Listen to the conversation by clicking the player above.
What stood out to you about your conversation with LoPresto?
With both Ms. LoPresto and other students who have come forward, what stood out to me is their courage in sharing their story and the determination that they have. And also the student who came forward when the mandated reporters did not and who brought this to the surface.
To me, that’s what’s most really striking about this: how the system itself has not gone far enough, and the burden fell on these people, who rose to the occasion.
The Minnesota Department of Education can only investigate allegations of maltreatment within the past three years. Can you explain why expanding that statute is important?
To have a tight statute of limitations really puts the onus on students who are at their most vulnerable and it makes it more difficult for them to be able to get the justice that they deserve.
I feel that extending that makes it more realistic for people to get redress.
Right now, an offense, like sexual assault, has to happen before there can be a grooming charge. Why focus on grooming as a standalone charge?
I think that is a complex item to think through, because there are so many behaviors that could be well-intended, but as soon as it crosses over, you can see that it was grooming.
The work that I’m doing is to really work on the definitions and what are the behaviors that can't occur. For example, being alone in a room or texting outside of an appropriate relationship — these are the kinds of things that are observable behaviors, whereas other things could be just well intended and just building trust.
You’re also possibly considering, if a law would be able to, say, differentiate between ‘grooming’ and ‘comprehensive sex education?’ Which many say is an important component of abuse prevention.
I think that’s exactly right, and that’s one of the items that Ms. LoPresto has recommended to me when we met about having better education, so that kids knew and were taught what was OK and wasn’t.
And so I think relying on the health standards that we’re working on to be able to equip kids is really important. And also to differentiate between education and inappropriate behavior.
What is your next step?
I’ve been working with the non-partisan staff, and they’re bringing forward follow-up questions and other people to talk to and to confer with about it. So talking to county attorneys, talking to other people about: “What are unintended consequences? If we make certain changes, will we be accomplishing our goals?”
So those are the steps that I’m taking. My plan is to have legislation to bring forward in 2026.
