Bennett grooming bill deserves support

We all know that trying to lure a minor into having sex is a crime.
But what happens when the person engaging in that behavior is a trusted adult, and their actions don’t seem to rise to that level?
Last week, State Rep. Peggy Bennett, whose district formerly included Dodge County, introduced legislation to help address a gap in the law that allowed an Eagan teacher to avoid criminal charges, despite years of acting inappropriately with multiple female students.
Among other measures, it defines grooming as a felony, requires the state Dept. of Education to develop mandatory reporter training, revokes licenses from teachers convicted of grooming, and bars teachers, contractors and volunteers from being alone with a student during field trips.
During a hearing held on the bill, Eagan Detective Chad Clausen defined grooming as a “slow process of building a false, trusted relationship with the child to facilitate future sexual abuse, whether or not the physical abuse actually occurs.”
“Waiting for physical abuse means waiting for more harm,” he added.
Clausen conducted a broad investigation that included the case of Eagan High alumna Hannah LoPresto. After being groomed for years by her band teacher, LoPresto said, he sexually assaulted her on her last day of high school.
Bennett, herself, was groomed by a teacher while in high school.
Some have weighed in with concerns that the bill is overly broad, raises constitutional concerns, and may duplicate existing laws that prohibit solicitation.
But the experiences of LoPresto and other grooming victims start out with behavior that does not rise to the level of solicitation.
Extra attention.
Flirting.
Compliments on their physical appearance.
The girls themselves didn’t see anything wrong with the lavish attention, at first. Some adults were concerned—but at that point, the teacher’s behavior was not illegal.
While some fine tuning may be needed as Bennett’s bill makes its way through the legislative process, it deserves broad, bipartisan support. Moreover, we applaud her efforts to start the conversation and raise awareness about these disturbing and often hidden behaviors.
That alone should give parents, educators, and others the confidence to speak up when something just doesn’t feel right.