Former teacher of Hmong College Prep Academy in St. Paul charged with criminal sexual conduct with student

Nick Ferraro, Pioneer Press
Updated ·2 min read
2

A former teacher at a charter school in St. Paul has been charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old student numerous times last year after being fired in May for contacting the girl.

Brandon Michael Bunney, who taught at Hmong College Prep Academy, was charged by warrant last week in Ramsey County District Court with felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly abusing the student at several locations, including in his car on St. Paul’s East Side, starting in late July.

“The sexual relationship is believed to be ongoing,” Thursday’s criminal complaint says.

Bunney, 42, was arrested Friday and booked into the Scott County jail. He posted an interim $60,000 bond and was released ahead of a March 14 first appearance in Ramsey County District Court. An attorney is listed for him in court records but could not be reached for comment.

Hmong College Prep Academy said in a emailed statement Monday that Bunney taught at the school from September 2014 until May 18, “when he was relieved of his duties. Our leadership has proactively cooperated with law enforcement throughout the process.”

Rumors of an inappropriate relationship between Bunney and the girl began to surface last spring at the school, the complaint says. School administration told him several times to stop contacting the girl, and he was ultimately fired from his teaching job for failing to do so.

After his firing, Bunney began spending more time with the girl. Numerous messages between Bunney and the girl began on May 24. By July, Bunney was sending the girl messages describing sexual acts he wanted to engage in with her, the complaint says.

She told police they began having sexual encounters in his car and at an Apple Valley house where he lived at the time. The girl told her friends about sexual encounters she had with Bunney in July, August, September and October, the complaint says.

Police spoke with Bunney on Feb. 6. He said he was fired from the high school because of a “perception that I hung out with a student,” the complaint states. Bunney said that “a bunch of people had concerns” and he was told to “kinda ghost” the girl, but he didn’t.

Bunney said he would “meet up with (the victim) to talk because she was struggling and the relationship progressed to being intimate” over the summer, the complaint states. He declined to respond to further questions about the sexual abuse, and stopped the interview.

In its Monday statement, Hmong College Prep Academy, which is located near Como and Snelling avenues, said that it “conducts thorough background checks on all teachers and staff.”

“HCPA asks that if any student or family member has concerns about an interaction or the conduct of Mr. Bunney they contact HCPA leadership or law enforcement,” the statement continued.

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