Former Maranatha Christian Academy school counselor secretly filmed student changing: Charges

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - A former Maranatha Christian Academy school counselor is accused of secretly filming a student while she was changing her clothes. 

Jason Polzin, 50, has been charged with one county for interfering with the privacy of a minor. 

Maranatha former school counselor charged

What we know:

According to court documents, in May 2024, Brooklyn Park police officers responded to Living World Christian Center, which is affiliated with Maranatha Christian Academy, on a sexual misconduct call. 

Police learned that Polzin had taken a video of a 13-year-old girl changing her clothes, the charges said. The incident happened a few weeks prior, in April 2024. 

The victim told investigators that Polzin was a staff member at the school, helped with the softball team, and let the victim use his office to change clothes before softball. 

On the day of the incident, the victim was changing in Polzin's office when she noticed his phone was in the room. When she checked it, she found the phone was pointing at her and recording, court documents state. 

The victim said that the video showed Polzin looking at the door, then him propping the phone up so it pointed to where she would be changing. The victim says she then deleted the video and confronted Polzin, where he allegedly claimed it was an accident. 

According to court documents, the victim ultimately reported the incident after talking with a friend. The victim told investigators Polzin would give her rides and invited her to go on his boat. 

Search warrant conducted at Polzin's home

Dig deeper:

Court documents state that while conducting a search warrant at Polzin's home in Prior Lake, officers found a "number of files" of criminal sexual abuse material.  

Authorities found 52 pictures of the victim, the majority taken in Polzin's school office, the charges state. 165 photos of the victim's face on a computer-generated female body were also found on Polzin's electronic devices. 

Polzin's role at Marantha Christian Academy 

What they're saying:

A spokesperson from Maranatha Christian Academy said Polzin was put on administrative leave when they learned of the allegations in May 2024, and his employment at the school was terminated at the beginning of June 2024. 

"The safety and well-being of our students is, and will always be, our highest priority," said Deb Larson-Jarpe, Head of School, said in a statement. "We have zero tolerance for any behavior that places students at risk and remain committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment."