ST. PAUL, Minn. - With classes starting soon, school buses will be rolling again.
But because of government inaction, Minnesota parents still must worry whether the person driving their children to school has a hidden history of sexually abusing children.
In 2017, KARE 11 Investigates exposed how admitted child molester Glenn David Johnson was able to get a job driving kids to school. It was just one example of failures in the state’s current system of background checks.
In the wake of KARE 11’s investigation, politicians promised action. But the reforms died because of political gamesmanship at the end of the last legislative session.
MINNESOTA’S SECRET SEX OFFENDERS
KARE 11’s ongoing investigation of Minnesota’s secret sex offenders documented how hundreds of sexual predators with dangerous secrets were kept hidden from the public by Minnesota’s legal system.
KARE 11 exposed how people accused of sex crimes involving children can receive plea deals known as Stays of Adjudication. They allow defendants to admit their guilt in open court. But as part of the agreement, judges delay officially accepting the plea.
Instead of prison, they are sentenced to probation. If they successfully complete it, the prosecutor and the judge agree that the criminal case against them will be dismissed without a conviction.
The result: secret sex offenders. No required registration on Minnesota’s official sex offender registry. And no record of a crime on the court’s public online database.
BUS DRIVER LOOPHOLE
Even though defendants in such cases admit sexual contact with children, the plea deals do not even show up on the background check required for school bus drivers in Minnesota.
For example, records show that Glenn David Johnson admitted to molesting a 14-year-old girl, got a Stay of Adjudication, and went on to get a job driving kids to school.
Later he was convicted of molesting another girl.
In March, members of the Minnesota legislature viewed portions of the KARE 11 investigation and heard testimony from the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA).
“I think it’s really important that we do have the Stays of Adjudication with regard to criminal sexual conduct as a disqualifying offense for school bus drivers,” Caroline Palmer of the Coalition told lawmakers.
There was bipartisan support in the House to approve bills introduced by Rep. Matt Grossell (R-District 02A) to bar offenders who receive a Stay of Adjudication for serious crimes from driving school buses. The proposal also would have required Stays of Adjudication show up on background checks.
“This is important information for the public to have access to, to protect our kids,” Grossell said at the time.
Republicans and Democrats seemed to agree – and the reform plan sailed through committees.
“I think it is important that we take care of these background checks and we make certain that we disqualify people that are unsafe,” said Rep. Debra Hilstrom (DFL-District 40B) who is now running for Minnesota Attorney General.
WHY REFORMS FAILED
Despite the apparent agreement that individuals with sex offenses in their history should not drive school buses, partisan disputes on budget issues trumped child safety.
Instead of passing a stand-alone bill to address the problem, Republican leaders attached the sex offender reform proposals to a massive omnibus spending bill Governor Dayton had already vowed to veto.
The 900-page spending bill also included other reforms aimed at protecting senior citizens from abuse .
After the Governor issued his promised veto, there was grade-A finger-pointing about who deserved a failing grade.
“This failure is their responsibility,” Governor Dayton said during a press conference in May. “It is their failure, and I know they won’t take responsibility for it. But it's theirs.”
“This session wasn’t a failure,” Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt contended. “Our Governor was a failure! And Minnesotans will be hurt because he chose politics over people.”
While the politicians debate who is responsible for the failure, one thing is clear: Minnesota’s most vulnerable are the ones who have been failed.
If you have a suggestion for a KARE 11 investigation or want to blow the whistle on fraud or government waste, email us at Investigations@kare11.com