Matt Hansen Arrested

The arrest of middle school teacher Matt Hansen was a major development in the history of the country’s drug laws. During a March 24 sting, OPP officers pulled over a gray vehicle, where a passenger identified themselves as Hansen. He was arrested on charges of obstructing a peace officer, possession of a Schedule I substance (cocaine), and failing to comply with a probation order on three counts. Hansen was released on bail on April 20.

Police said Hansen, a fugitive from Colorado, had previously been arrested for assault on another woman. He was also charged with failure to appear in another case from this year, in Polk County. He was convicted of driving under the influence of drug and other offenses. While Hansen had pleaded his innocence to the charges, another person was taken into custody with him. Neither of the individuals made a statement in court.

According to the federal indictment Hansen filmed 77 boys as they unknowingly changed in a shower at a camp near Minnesota. He did this without the consent of the District, and the videotapes are believed to date back to 2007.

Chris Hansen surrendered to authorities on Thursday despite his arrest. A judge issued a bench warrant against him for failing to appear in court. Chris Hansen was not able to respond to a subpoena that required him to produce records from his previous employment. Hansen was also arrested on unrelated charges relating to a sting operation he was part of.

Plaintiffs argued that Hansen was the victim unlawful surveillance and a violation of police policy. They argued that Hansen wasn’t responsible for the injuries and damages that resulted. They also pointed to the District’s official policy against recording in places where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy. They argue that this policy made the recording of Hansen and other school officials illegal. They don’t provide any evidence to support this view.

The District and plaintiffs disagree about whether Hansen’s illegal video recording was made before Hansen, but the district maintains that it had prior knowledge of Hansen’s conduct between 2006 and 2012. Their evidence points to the fact that the recording was made by a student camp counselor, David Ring, sixteen years old and an A+ student, observed Hansen interacting with a fifth grade boy, which violated the District’s policies.