A Minnesota Department of Education headquarters employee has been forced out after a conservative news site reported on the man’s prior conviction of criminal sexual conduct.
Agency officials confirm that Wilson Tindi's employment ended last week, although the department hasn’t said if he was fired or he resigned. The departure came after Alpha News, a news site that caters to the political right, posed questions to the agency about Tindi's 2016 conviction on fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charges for which he served time in a county workhouse.
Tindi worked as director of internal audit and advisory services for about two and a half months and was still considered a probationary employee.
The department told MPR News that Tindi “did not interact with students, visit schools, or have access to private student data.”
A working phone number for him was unavailable.
Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, chairs the House Fraud Prevention and Agency Oversight Committee. She sent a letter to the department seeking answers regarding Tindi's hire and policies about vetting prospective hires.
"Even for other individuals who are employees of the department, they know their colleague is a registered sex offender. I think, as a female employee, I would want to know who I'm working with. That would raise concerns,” Robbins said.
Minnesota law requires criminal background checks for certain professions, including school teachers and bus drivers as well as licensed care providers. But for other positions, it isn't mandatory and can be done upon request of the hiring agency.
