EPHS teacher alleges police misconduct; EPPD says allegations are unfounded

A teacher at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) has accused an Eden Prairie Police Department (EPPD) community service officer of harassment and racial discrimination, allegations the department strongly denies.

The teacher, Iman Mohamoud, accused the officer of twice confronting her about whether she was a student, using “invasive questioning,” and using his vehicle to block her path. Community service officers are civilians and not sworn police officers.

After conducting an internal investigation that included conversations with the unnamed officer and school staff, as well as a review of surveillance camera footage, EPPD stated that the department found no basis for the allegations and that the officer’s behavior was consistent with his normal course of duty.

The situation was made public on Feb. 26 during the monthly school board meeting, when Mohamoud, a second-year teacher at EPHS and an Eden Prairie community member, addressed the board in a public comment. Mohamoud’s full comments can be heard beginning at the 30:20 minute mark on the board meeting video recording.

Mohamoud told the board, “In the past few months, I have been subjected to harassment, racial discrimination, and unwarranted surveillance by a police officer. The response from my high school and district has left me feeling unsafe and absolutely terrified to come to work.”

The basis of Mahmoud’s complaints was her claim that an EPPD community service officer had twice stopped her in the EPHS east staff parking lot adjoining the Eden Prairie Community Center to ask her if she was a student. These incidents occurred once in November 2023 and once in February 2024. On both occasions, she informed the officer that she was not a student but an employee entitled to park in the staff lot, she said.

Mohamoud said that in the first incident last November, she was in the process of leaving the school for lunch when “I found the officer had intentionally parked his vehicle blocking my path. He then proceeded to initiate invasive questioning, leaving me feeling confused and uneasy about the situation for months.”

Mohamoud told the board that a second interaction took place in the same staff parking lot on Feb. 8.

“The officer approached me and proceeded to interrogate me about my presence and purpose on school grounds,” she said. “Despite my respectful compliance and request for his identification, I was left feeling frustrated and absolutely humiliated.”

Mohamoud told the board that the second encounter left her distressed, so she went to the school’s main office.

“Upon entering the principal’s office, I sought two things: support and action, only to find the same officer has followed me into the school,” she said. “Despite the secretary’s third confirmation of my employment, the lack of immediate action or assurance of my safety left me feeling vulnerable.”

Mohamoud told the board that she was disappointed and unsatisfied with the EPHS administration’s and superintendent’s office response to these encounters and her requests “for resolution and accountability.”

“The superintendent’s solution was to convene a meeting with the police department, the very police department that’s been harassing me for months now,” she said. “It’s been two weeks now (since the incident) – still no mention of action that’s been taken against this officer.”

She added, “Not only am I disgusted with this handling of the situation, but I also think it’s important we recognize that informal conversations with law enforcement do not constitute as a viable solution. Repeated acts of intimidation against a Black teacher at the school are a clear indication of how this officer will treat students he deems doesn’t belong.”

Mohamoud said, “I’m asking the board to protect its teachers, students, and staff by making sure this officer will not be on campus moving forward.”

As is the rule in school board meetings, the board did not respond to Mohamoud’s public comment.

Mohamoud later told Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) that both times, the officer did not exit his vehicle but asked her through his open truck window if she was a student.

Although she told the board on Feb. 26 that the EPPD had “been harassing me for months now,” she confirmed that they only had two encounters. However, she had seen the officer around campus doing his job in the months between.

During both encounters, Mohamoud said her employee badge and parking permit were clearly visible, and that both times, she confirmed with the officer that she worked at the school. After the second encounter, she questioned why the officer came into the building to confirm her identity with administrative staff since he had already confirmed with her twice that she worked there.

Mohamoud said that she did not mention the first encounter to the police department or school leadership.

However, after the second incident, she submitted an EPPD feedback form with her personal email so they could follow up with her. She said she received an email confirming receipt and inviting her to reach out with further questions or concerns. She said she did not respond. As of March 11, she said she had not received further communications from the EPPD.

Mohamoud said that her associate principal was out of town, and EPHS Principal Nate Gibbs was in a meeting at the time of the incident on Feb. 8. Gibbs’ assistant informed him once he was out of his meeting and Gibbs reached out to her in a phone call the next day. She said the administration offered for her to meet with them and members of the EPPD to talk about the incident and her allegations, but that she did not want to do that.

On March 13, Mohamoud said, “I urge everyone to ask themselves whether such incidents of racial harassment and discrimination would occur in their workplace. If the answer is no, then we must acknowledge the systemic problem at hand.

“I deserve to enter my workplace feeling safe and secure, just like any of my colleagues. If Eden Prairie Schools truly aims to prioritize its mission and vision of nurturing the well-being of all students and staff by fostering belonging, ensuring physical and emotional health, and promoting safety, then addressing this issue is paramount,” she said.

EPPD: ‘Internal review did not substantiate any claims’

The EPPD has said they have investigated the incident but did not find any evidence that the encounters Mohamoud had with the officer were racially motivated, nor that they constituted harassment or unwarranted surveillance, as alleged by Mohamoud at the board meeting.

The EPPD said in a statement on March 8: “The Eden Prairie Police Department takes any allegations regarding racial bias very seriously. There is zero tolerance for behavior by any EPPD employee that could be perceived as disrespectful or threatening by members of the community.
 
“In this case, the EPPD received an employee feedback form Feb. 9, 2024, from an individual describing their interactions with a civilian member of the department. No formal complaint with specific allegations was made, and efforts to reach the individual who submitted the feedback form were unsuccessful.
 
“An internal review did not substantiate any claims made at the Feb. 26 school board meeting, nor did it indicate inappropriate behavior or violations of department policy.”

Eden Prairie Police Chief Matt Sackett said that Mohamoud’s initial feedback form submitted on Feb. 9 “contained only the fact that she was approached for the second time and that he asked if she was a student. There was no mention of harassment, racial discrimination, or unwarranted surveillance.” Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) was shown the email in question.

Sackett also said there is “no factual basis” for Mohamoud’s claims of “harassment, racial discrimination, or unwarranted surveillance” that she made at the school board meeting.

He said it is “troubling” that she made these statements publicly but not to the EPPD. “I’ve had zero statements from her” alleging these complaints, he said.

Sackett said the officer in question is a full-time civilian community service officer who has served in the department for 38 years without a similar complaint.

Despite not being a sworn police officer, Sackett said the officer wears a badge and uniform and drives a marked EPPD truck. His work includes animal control and parking enforcement for the City of Eden Prairie.

Sackett said the officer was assigned to patrol the community center parking lot, the EPHS east staff lot, and the area around it to ensure that only authorized staff were using the spaces.

Because students frequently try to park in the staff lot at various times throughout the day, Sackett explained the officer’s role was to question anyone suspected of not being a staff member. Over the “many” years in this role, Sackett said this officer encountered eight to 10 people per week incorrectly parked in the community center or east staff lots and asked them to leave.

Since students at EPHS come from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, Sackett emphasized that the officer routinely interacts with students from diverse backgrounds. He said that Mohamoud was not targeted based on her identity or appearance. Sackett also said that due to the officer’s frequent interactions with individuals, he did not immediately recognize Mohamoud or remember that she had previously verified her employment to him in November.

After their encounter on Feb. 8, Sackett said the officer waited in the lot for a few minutes after Mohamoud left and checked to see if Mohamoud’s car did, in fact, have a permit displayed. These actions and the timing were visible in the surveillance video Sackett showed EPLN.

Sackett said the officer then went to the office to inform the principal that he had had an interaction with Mohamoud that was routine for him, but that had left her upset. He said he told administrative staff that he had asked her if she was a student because “she looked young,” and he wanted to be sure. He said she had told him she did not have her badge with her that day but could show him on her phone, and that he told her this was unnecessary.

Sackett added that it is not unusual for the officer to call or go into the school in the course of his duties to double-check with staff if someone is authorized to park in a certain lot.

According to Sackett, he has reached out to Mohamoud directly and through the school. He said the department would like to talk to her about whether she has more information to share and would like to have an “open dialogue” to understand her perspective. He said he is also happy to show her the surveillance video of the second encounter from Feb. 8. However, he said, “She refused to meet with us to watch the video.”

Sackett said he has spoken with multiple members of the Eden Prairie Schools administration and that on March 14, he met with Principal Gibbs and a colleague of Mohamoud’s to try to find a resolution and understand her perspective.

Sackett reiterated that the officer had behaved correctly in this situation.

He also said the EPPD and Eden Prairie Schools have agreed that EPPD will no longer patrol the high school’s east staff parking lot. Should the district choose to continue the practice, the responsibility will now fall to the district.

Eden Prairie Schools’ response

On March 13, Board Chair Aaron Casper said he had reached out to Mohamoud and had spoken to Sackett and Superintendent Josh Swanson.

Casper said he was unable to share details due to Mohamoud being a district employee but said, “The district treats any form of alleged harassment seriously and has procedures in place to investigate, provide supports, and district policy in place to address the findings of any investigation. We also as a district have an excellent working relationship with the city and our EPPD. Our two organizations have been openly communicating and collaborating where appropriate regarding this situation since the beginning.”

Also on March 13, Dirk Tedmon, EP Schools’ executive director of marketing and communications, said, “Eden Prairie Schools takes allegations of harassment and discrimination seriously as part of our efforts to create inclusive environments in our district where students and staff feel like they belong.

“When a concern is raised, administrators work to support individuals by investigating the concern, identifying resources and support, and taking appropriate action to follow up. Utilizing those supports is at the discretion of the individuals involved.
 
“In this instance, concerns about an alleged incident in the community were raised by a staff member. School and district staff took immediate action to support the staff member who brought forward the concern, followed up with information on next steps to be taken, and offered resources for support.

“Based on the collaborative relationship shared with the EPPD and because this was an alleged incident outside of school district control, staff also made the police department aware of the concerns raised.”