Minnesota teacher resigns after 10+ former students accuse him of sexual harassment, grooming
NEWFOLDEN, M.N. (Valley News Live) – A Minnesota teacher has resigned after more than 10 former students came forward detailing incidents of sexual harassment, grooming and cyber stalking.
The Marshall County Central School District voted Tuesday night to accept high school teacher Eric Mimnaugh’s resignation. School officials say evidence shows Mimnaugh didn’t treat current students inappropriately.
24 pages of statements and screenshots were compiled and given to the school district, as well as Valley News Live, demanding immediate action. The former students state that the 16 victims who have chosen to come forward are only scratching the surface of the damage Mimnaugh caused both in and outside of the classroom.
The victims did not identify themselves in the letters, and those we spoke with this week want to remain anonymous in fear of retaliation.
One accuser stated after she graduated Mimnaugh ‘tried to keep kissing me and I kept having to dodge him or push him away.’ She later wrote in her statement that she’s gone through an immense amount of therapy to ‘help heal and see the manipulation and abuse I was subject to.’
Another alleged victim wrote that Mimnaugh often brought up getting married and a future together, and stated he loved her unprovoked.
The file also includes two screenshots between a former student and Mimnaugh. Screenshots show Mimnaugh asked the female what she was wearing under her scrubs, and when she replied, ‘No,’ Mimnaugh asked, ‘Nothing?’
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Screenshots indicate Mimnaugh also told the female the conversation could go further if she wanted it to.
The female states Mimnaugh had since deleted his Facebook account, so his name no longer appears on the chats.
While some accusers say the abuse of power and misconduct started while they were in school, most say Mimnaugh reached out on various social media platforms after graduation.
“I don’t feel ok knowing that he is still teaching and there could be others in his class now receiving similar “special” attention so that they will remember him and he can exploit them. He’s capable of manipulating people in any number of ways. Even if some haven’t reported him to the police it doesn’t mean they couldn’t have. I think many could have reported him but didn’t probably due to his “favorite teacher” status. If in fact he hasn’t broken a law, he has skirted very closely around them. His behavior is flat out creepy, wrong, predatory and most importantly it’s subjecting students at school to harm,” one alleged victim wrote.
Valley News Live was not able to obtain Mr. Mimnaugh’s personnel file this week, but Superintendent Jeffrey Lund stated there has been not been a final disposition of disciplinary action involving Mimnaugh during his employment with district.
Lund also says the district notified the Marshall County Sherriff’s Office, however, as of Wednesday evening there have not been formal charges filed against Mimnaugh.
Mimnaugh was in his fourth year in the Marshall County Central School District, but has been a teacher for more than 15 years.
We reached out to Mimnaugh for a comment, however we did not hear back.
Copyright 2021 KVLY. All rights reserved.
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March 18, 2021 at 05:50AM
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