Lakeville middle school principal on leave amid police investigation

The principal of Century Middle School in Lakeville is on leave during a police investigation into unauthorized access to computer equipment connected to a neighboring district's network.

Christopher Endicott is on leave during the investigation, Lakeville Area Public Schools said in a statement issued Wednesday. No charges have been filed.

According to Apple Valley police, a woman who works at Scott Highlands Middle School in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district reported that her iPad and phone connected to the district's server had been reset repeatedly without her doing so, and the district's IT department determined the resets had been done remotely.

The district discovered the remote access had been happening for 18 months, police said, and they traced it back to IP addresses at Endicott's home address and a Lakeville school district building.

Endicott's wife, Andrea Endicott, works for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district and is also on leave from her job as of Friday, according to a district spokesman.

Reached by phone Thursday, Christopher Endicott declined to comment.

In the school district's statement, Lakeville Superintendent Michael Baumann said, "While I do not have all of the details concerning the complaint at this time, I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not related to students in any way."

The investigation could take months, said Capt. Nick Francis of the Apple Valley police. "It kind of depends on how much technology we have to go through and how easily we can get access to it," he said.

Jason Bakke, dean of Century Middle School, is taking over the role of principal during the investigation. The school has more than 900 students and 100 staff and faculty members.

Jeyca Maldonado-Medina is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.