Police have arrested a 22-year-old man who allegedly used a false identity and lied about his age to enroll in a Minnesota high school and play for the football team.
To the students, the district “failed us”, after the unforeseen incident, which many believe could have led to an injury on the part of one of the teens.
On Sunday, Kelvin Luebke was arrested after officials at White Bear Lake High School found out he allegedly used fraudulent documents to enroll as a senior, Alpha News reported.
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In a letter to parents on Tuesday, Principal Russell Reetz said an individual “over the age of 21” had evaded the district’s security measures to enroll into the school.
“Upon our initial investigation, we have determined that while enrolling this individual, we followed our enrollment process, which is as rigorous as state law allows,” he said.
According to Alpha News, Reetz could not identify Luebke — who went by “KJ” — a student from the high school confirmed that he was the suspect in question. Also, the student revealed that Luebke was on the football team’s roster.
To the parents, principal Reetz explained that the suspect appeared “to have provided fraudulent documentation and a false identity to enroll.”
Multiple reports indicate that White Bear Lake High School required enrollees to submit three required documents to the school: verification of birth date (birth certificate), proof of address (driver’s license or utility bill), and immunization records.
Principal Reetz also assured parents that Luebke was banned from district property.
“Please rest assured that the safety and well-being of all students is our top priority. I am grateful to the staff members, families and students who saw something and decided to report it,” he wrote in the email.
The district is continuing its investigation and is working closely with White Bear Lake Police Department, Reetz said.
Now, Luebke is being held in Anoka County Jail on charges of theft and lewdness, per Alpha News.
Now that it has been confirmed that the now-arrested Minnesota man was posing as a high school student around teenagers, parents are reportedly shaken.
“I’m scared that they’re not keeping our kids safe. I don’t understand how this man got into my kid’s school,” parent April Jorgenson told CBS News as in tears over the fact that Luebke allegedly was around children.
“You need to have a record and you need to have a physical to do these activities. We just can’t figure out how this happened.” An unidentified student said they believe the “district failed us.”
Minnesota law states that students can legally enroll in public school any time before turning 2, even after age 17 — so long as they live in the district and comply with the rules, which means older students can still enter high school.
