MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A former Anoka theater teacher who was an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ students is charged with 10 felony counts of sexually abusing minors.
Jefferson Fietek, 47, taught arts theater at Anoka Middle School and created the non-profit group Young Artists Initiative that operated out of a St. Paul church.
According to court documents, the five male victims are either former middle school students of participants in the theater non-profit.
A criminal investigation began when a former student went public with abuse allegations, which span a decade, last year.
While Fietek stood up for LGBTQ students during a federal prove into anti-gay bulling in the state’s largest school district, the Anoka-Hennepin School District itself may have failed to protect students from Fietek, the Star Tribune reported.
On three previous occasions, school officials or leaders of the Young Artists Initiative had been warned about Fietek’s close relationships with male students, the Tribune reported.
“It was like a big, bad monster that was in the room the whole time,” said Amy Mills, a parent who said she anonymously warned school officials in 2016 about Fietek’s behavior toward male students. “Why on earth did nobody else see it?”
The Anoka-Hennepin School District declined to comment, citing the active criminal case.
Fietek referred questions to his attorney, Jack Rice.
“We deny all allegations and we look forward to the trial that will be coming in the future,” Rice said.
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