Convicted sex offender held MN Dept. of Education job

Former MN Dept of Education employee was convicted sex offender

The Minnesota Department of Education confirmed this week that Wilson Tindi, a convicted sex offender, is longer with the organization as of June 27. The news was first reported by Alpha News.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A former chief audit officer at the Minnesota Department of Education was convicted of criminal sexual conduct more than a decade before he was hired. 

Wilson Tindi was convicted of sexual assault after he admitted to entering a woman's apartment without permission and assaulting her while she slept in December 2014. He was ordered to be removed from the country multiple times since then, but was later released from ICE custody and was authorized to remain. 

The story was first reported by Alpha News and has been widely shared online.

Timeline:

Records show Tindi, from Kenya, was ordered to be removed from the country after overstaying his visa, which was granted for six months after he entered the country in November 2005. 

ICE then took him into custody in 2009, but was released after filing a motion to reopen his immigration proceedings. 

Tindi was then charged with burglary and sexual assault in 2014 for trying to sexually assault a woman in her apartment while she slept. He then pleaded guilty to the assault and had the burglary dismissed as part of his plea agreement.

After his assault conviction, a judge ordered Tindi be removed to Kenya, his country of origin, in 2016. Records show Tindi then filed a petition for writ of Habeas Corpus, arguing that he should be released because he was not a threat to the community and the ICE was not allowed to hold him indefinitely. 

A judge then ruled in favor of Tindi, and he was released in February 2018 after being in ICE custody for 18 months. 

Tindi's criminal record shows he was also arrested for driving while intoxicated, a charge that was dismissed in favor of a careless driving plea in 2022.  

State lawmaker raises questions

What they're saying:

Minnesota House Rep. Kristen Robbins (R-Maple Grove) said she sent a letter to the commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Education asking to learn more about the organization's hiring practices and how Tindi was able to pass a background check.

Part of the letter says, "Having served on the Human Services Background Study Eligibility Task Force in 2022, I am concerned that an individual who is a registered sex offender and has a felony conviction for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct could pass a background check in a state agency and be hired at a director level, with management responsibilities and access to Minnesotan's private data."

Minnesota Department of Education response

The other side:

The Minnesota Department of Education released this statement clarifying Tindi's role and time of employment:

"Wilson Tindi is not a current employee at the Minnesota Department of Education. He was a probationary employee in an internal role at MDE for approximately two and a half months.  He did not interact with students, visit schools, or have access to private student data.

MDE officials also released the details on the job Tindi worked at the Department of Education:

• First date of employment at MDE: April 9, 2025
• Last date of employment at MDE: June 27, 2025
• Title: Director of Internal Audit and Advisory Services
• Annual salary for duration of employment at MDE: $145,074

FOX 9 has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and will update this story if they respond. 

Editor's note: A previous version of this story stated that Tindi was in the country illegally at the time of his hiring. This has been corrected.