A lawmaker is calling for a superintendent at a Minnesota high school to resign after a 22-year-old, allegedly using fake documents, was enrolled as a student.
According to White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, the man allegedly used fraudulent documents and a fake ID to enroll at the school. The district said it followed its standard enrollment procedures, which include review of a prospective students’ birth certificate, driver’s license or utility bill to establish residency, and immunization records.
Police said they are pursuing possible fraud, forgery, and unlawful contact with minors charges against the suspect.
The individual, identified as Kelvin Luebke, 22, allegedly bluffed his way into the school before being caught. He is currently being held at the Washington County Jail on unrelated charges.
Students at the school told KARE11 that they believed the man, known as “KJ Perry,” was 17 years old and playing on the football team.
One mother speaking to the broadcaster said she was “angry” at the thought of an adult man hanging around the school and befriending children under an assumed identity.
The breach is personal for State Representative Elliott Engen, whose district includes White Bear Lake Area Schools and whose younger brother is currently a senior at the high school.
Engen sent KARE11 the school’s football roster for this year, which lists “KJ Perry” as a senior cornerback.
He told the outlet the situation is a “system-wide failure” and has demanded the immediate resignation of the district superintendent, Wayne Kazmierczak.
“This comes down to failed leadership on the part of Wayne Kazmierczak, and there should be ramifications for that,” Engen said.
Another lawmaker representing the area, State Representative Brian Curran, was a bit more cautious when it came to doling out blame.
“The person who fraudulently enrolled as an adult in a school for children is responsible for this,” Curran said. “Now, how they went about it, that’s something for myself and other leaders in the community to tackle.”
Engen said the incident will be the catalyst for discussions at the statehouse concerning school enrollment procedures and safety protocols.
“I know that White Bear Lake has asserted that they did everything by the book, but if it’s done by the book and yet you have a 22-year-old posing as a 17-year-old, something went wrong,” Engen told Fox 9.
Until then, parents are left to process the bizarre situation.
A mother named Brittany told KARE11 that “parents and the children need some form of explanation” for what happened at the school. She said the incident has left her wondering whether or not her children are safe during the day.
The Independent has requested comment from the district.
