UPDATE: Former Hayfield principal receives 19 years’ probation, ordered to pay $1,500 annually to sexual assault charities
(ABC 6 News) – Former Hayfield High School principal Grant Klennert was sentenced to 19 years of probation and ordered to pay $28,500 in donations to sexual assault charities in a hearing Friday, Feb. 23.
He was also ordered to spend 42 days in the Wabasha County jail on work release, but will receive “credit for good time.”
Klennert, 38, previously pleaded guilty to two charges of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct when he was a teenager– one involving a child under age 16 over a significant period of time, and one involving another victim under the age of 13.
He also pleaded guilty to a charge of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct with the child under age 16.
He entered an Alford plea, a type of guilty plea wherein a defendant maintains that they are innocent, but admits that there is enough evidence to convict them in a court of law.
According to the terms of Klennert’s probation, he is not to have unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 until a therapist allows it.
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(ABC 6 News) – The sentencing for a former principal accused of sexually assaulting several children has been delayed.
Grant Thomas Klennert, 38, pleaded guilty to two charges of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct when he was a teenager– one involving a child under age 16 over a significant period of time, and one involving another victim under the age of 13 — in January of this year.
He also pleaded guilty to a charge of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct with the child under age 16.
He entered an Alford plea, a type of guilty plea wherein a defendant maintains that they are innocent, but admits that there is enough evidence to convict them in a court of law.
On Friday, Feb. 16, Klennert’s defense filed a motion to continue, or push back the sentencing formerly scheduled for Feb. 20, as Klennert’s attorney will be in court on another matter until at least Feb. 23.
Klennert’s sentencing had not been rescheduled Monday, Feb. 19. He is not currently listed on the Wabasha County Court calendar.
According to Klennert’s court documents, in exchange for the guilty plea, Klennert has requested 19 years of probation, and agreed to pay $1,500 annually to sexual assault charities during the probation period.
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(ABC 6 News) – A former Hayfield High School principal accused of sexually assaulting three children between 1998 and 2003 pleaded guilty to three of five charges in Wabasha County Court Tuesday, Jan. 2.
Grant Thomas Klennert, 38, pleaded guilty to two charges of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct when he was a teenager– one involving a child under age 16 over a significant period of time, and one involving another victim under the age of 13.
He also pleaded guilty to a charge of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct with the child under age 16.
According to the Tuesday court hearing, one additional charge each of 1st- and 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct will be dismissed at sentencing, scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Feb. 20 in Wabasha County Court.
Klennert was accused of multiple crimes against children in October of 2022, and a warrant was issued for his arrest in December after law enforcement failed to make contact with the then-principal of Hayfield High School for months.
RELATED: Former Hayfield principal’s next hearing moved to 2024 – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Klennert resigned from his role at Hayfield High School in late December 2022.
According to Klennert’s Tuesday hearing, in exchange for the guilty plea, Klennert has requested 19 years of probation, and agreed to pay $1,500 annually to sexual assault charities during the probation period.
He also agreed to no contact with two of the three victims referenced in his charging documents.
According to Klennert’s plea agreement, he would be eligible for supervised visits with his immediate family. He also agreed to complete therapy.