Temp Custodian at Cooper High Accused of Spying on Girl in Bathroom
A temporary custodian working at Cooper High School has been criminally charged after allegedly spying on a girl who was using the bathroom.
John Brown, 51, of Brooklyn Center, was charged with a felony case of interfering with the privacy of a minor.
“A temporary service provider who was assigned to assist with custodial services was accused of engaging in conduct that violated district policy and our expectations for anyone working in our schools,” said Cooper High School Principal Shaunece Smith in an email to families. “As soon as CHS administration learned of the incident, the individual was immediately removed from the building and prohibited from returning to district sites. All information was promptly provided to law enforcement, and the student’s family was contacted right away. No other individuals—students or staff—were involved.”
According to the criminal complaint:
A 15-year-old girl was staying late at school on Oct. 28 for an activity when she went to use a bathroom.
However, a custodian, later identified as Brown, was cleaning, so she had to wait until he was done.
When she entered the bathroom, Brown followed her in and dried off the toilet seat.
After she sat down, she saw Brown looking at her over the side of the stall.
She gasped, and Brown allegedly apologized and left the bathroom.
After sprinting out of the bathroom, the girl reported the incident to school authorities.
Brown was charged after the incident but is not in police custody.
“We take situations like this extremely seriously,” Smith said. “The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority, and we are grateful to the student who reported concerns so that immediate action could be taken.”
Brown’s first court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 16.
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