South St. Paul residents launch recall effort after meth exposure at Pam Bakken's day care

SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A group of residents in South St. Paul filed a recall petition for City Council member Pam Bakken after a 3-year-old boy who was at her day care tested positive for meth.

Boy sickened by meth at Bakken's day care

The backstory:

State regulators shut down Bakken’s South St. Paul day care in December after a 3-year-old boy tested positive for meth after spending the day at the facility. The boy's mother, Victoria Kane, said her son became seriously ill at the day care on Dec. 6, 2024, after he said he ate something in the bathroom. He was hospitalized but recovered. 

"He didn’t stop talking the whole time as we sat in the ER room in a bed. He just talked and talked and talked," she told FOX 9. "My son’s statements that he ate onion crumbs off of the floor at her house, and we figured out that that’s what meth looks like."

In a letter to Bakken, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) said the children at her facility were "at an imminent risk of harm." DHS filed an indefinite suspension of Bakken's day care license on March 4. 

At this point, no one is facing criminal charges. 

Recall petition filed for Bakken

Several voters have called on South St. Paul City Council member Pam Bakken to step down after a child at the daycare she ran tested positive for methamphetamine. (FOX 9)

Local perspective:

Residents called for Bakken to resign, but she has not indicated any intention she will do so. This prompted a group of residents to form the Committee to Recall Bakken and file a recall petition. 

The South St. Paul city clerk says the recall petition was accepted on Friday, April 11. 

What they're saying:

"It’s regrettable that it has come to this. Since the beginning of this situation, almost four months ago, the citizens of South St. Paul have continually asked members of City Council to speak up in demanding accountability and answers from Council Member Bakken – but have been met with deafening silence. It’s a shame that none of our city elected officials have had the courage to do the right thing and ask for Bakken’s resignation," said Molly Smith, Chair of the Committee to Recall Bakken.

Smith added, "The facts stand – and they are simple: a 3-year-old boy ingested meth while in Council Member Bakken’s care at her in-home daycare. The state found Pam responsible for the situation, and yet she – and others – have remained silent. What’s just as concerning is that Pam Bakken broke the oath she swore when elected – to uphold the laws and regulations of our great State – by willfully disregarding what she was required to do. No person – but especially not elected officials – are above the law. Council Member Pam Bakken must resign immediately so that the City can continue regular business without this horrible distraction."

"Special elections cost money – something that will be a burden on the city financially. But, that’s the only avenue for recourse the citizens have been given. I truly wish members of Council would speak up for what’s right and join the community in calling for Bakken’s resignation – and I wish Pam would simply step down. We could avoid a painful recall process and further embarrassment to the City. I’d like to remind Pam and the rest of Council that it’s always the right time to do what’s right," Smith concluded. 

What's next:

The city's charter requires that a committee must gather a number of signatures equal to 25% of the participants of the previous municipal election, so they will need to gather 2,763 signatures. 

The signatures will need to be provided to the city clerk by May 12. Then, the city clerk will have five days to verify the signatures. 

"If any signatures are rejected which take the number of signatures below the needed threshold, then the committee will have 10 days in which to retrieve additional signatures," the city clerk says. 

Timeline of investigation

Timeline:

Here's a timeline of events as laid out by DHS:

• Dec. 6: Parents told FOX 9 their 3-year-old boy became seriously ill at Bakken’s in-home day care. He was hospitalized and tested positive for meth.
• Dec. 7: Dakota County received a report that Bakken’s day care was being investigated.
• Dec. 9: DHS issued an order of temporary immediate suspension due to children being at an "imminent risk of harm."
• Feb. 10: DHS determined that Bakken was "responsible for maltreatment of a minor by neglect" because a child at the day care was exposed to methamphetamine, according to the letter.
• March 4: DHS issued an order of indefinite suspension of license.

New violations:

DHS’s letter stated that the licensing investigation unveiled additional violations, including: 

• Failing to provide required supervision when a child in your program ingested methamphetamine
• Violating the terms of disqualification variance when allowing the subject of the variance to be alone with children in care
• Failing to submit a background study for a household member
• Failing to obtain all necessary information prior to enrollment for all children in care
• Failing to ensure that all toxic substances were inaccessible to children when a child ingested methamphetamine

"Due to the serious and chronic nature of these violations and the conditions in the program, which impact the health and safety of children served in your care, your license to provide family child care services is suspended," a letter from DHS to Bakken said.  

DHS stated that Dakota County officials are continuing to investigate the issue, and the outcome of that investigation and potential judicial proceedings will "determine whether a final licensing sanction will be issued."