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Minneapolis police are investigating hidden cameras found in the hotel rooms of East High students on a recent field trip.
Madison East High students found several hidden cameras in their hotel rooms while attending a recent school-sponsored conference in Minneapolis. Isthmus is withholding identifying details to protect the privacy of students. Madison Police spokesperson Joel Despain says the Minneapolis Police Department alerted Madison police to the incident.
“There was an advisory email, internally, from the [Madison] north district Captain Brian Ackeret just indicating that this incident had taken place — this incident involving cameras in a hotel and East High school students,” says Despain. “We are going to wait and see what Minneapolis police determine in their investigation and whether they need our assistance.”
Despain says Minneapolis police are also in contact with Madison school district officials. Additionally, East High staff were informed that a teacher at East, chaperoning the trip, has been placed on administrative leave. Timothy LeMonds, public information officer for the district, confirms that “a staff member” has been put on leave but wouldn’t comment further.
“The only thing else I can add is that whenever there is a case like this — an incident like this — this is our practice,” LeMonds tells Isthmus. “For a precautionary measure, we will put any involved staff members on administrative leave. I just want to stress that. At this point, it’s a purely precautionary measure.”
LeMonds says he didn’t know whether this staff member was the only district employee who attended the conference with East students.
Parents at West High School, whose children were also at the conference but did not find cameras in their rooms, were informed about the incident via an email from West principal Karen Boran.
“During our trip to Minneapolis this past weekend, some East students found suspicious objects that may have been cameras in their hotel rooms,” Boran wrote in the email obtained by Isthmus. “Students and adults searched the rooms and turned those devices in to hotel staff.”
Minneapolis police spokesperson John Elder told the Star Tribune in Minneapolis that it does not appear that hotel staff were involved, and it is not known at this time if footage of students was found on the cameras.
“We received recording devices found in some rooms at the Hyatt,” Elder tells Isthmus. “We are analyzing those and we have an active and open investigation.”
Mark Bastis, the general manager of the Hyatt, did not immediately return a request for comment by Isthmus. The hotel released a statement Tuesday to WCCO-TV in Minneapolis: “The safety and security of guests and colleagues is a top priority at Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. We are fully cooperating with authorities on their investigation; further questions may be directed to authorities.”
Isthmus will update this story as new details are available.
