Former St. Paul charter school teacher intends to plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A former St. Paul charter school teacher intends to plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct with his former 16-year-old student, according to a recent court filing.

Timeline:

Brandon Bunney was a math teacher at Hmong College Preparatory Academy when police say rumors first surfaced about a relationship with a student. 

Bunney was originally charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct after prosecutors said he had an "ongoing" sexual relationship with a student which began in July 2023. 

READ MORE: Teacher sex abuse cases expose 'flaw' in how Minnesota schools report misconduct

What we know:

Bunney recently filed a petition to plead guilty to a downgraded charge, admitting only that he "touched the breast" of the 16-year-old student and that it "occurred within 120 days of employment" at the school. 

The school did not report Bunney to the state’s licensing board 

The backstory:

The FOX 9 Investigators previously highlighted Bunney’s case, which exposed a flaw in the state’s mandatory reporting requirements involving teacher misconduct. 

While Bunney was forced out of Hmong College Prep, he was not technically fired since the school "rescinded" his contract instead. The school also did not report Bunney to the state’s teaching board (Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board also known as PELSB).

"The board strongly believes that it is a district’s duty to report incidents like this," said PELSB’s executive director Yelena Bailey in an interview last year, adding that there is room for clarity in the law.

"We believe that it is both a moral obligation and the right thing to do," she said. 

What's next:

Bunney is due back in court in May. If a judge accepts his guilty plea, he faces the possibility of 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine or both.