The parents of children whose images were allegedly used by an employee of Stillwater Area Public Schools to produce child pornography using artificial intelligence placed district officials on notice Wednesday that they plan to sue the district.
The claim stems from federal criminal charges filed earlier this year against William Michael Haslach, 30, of Maplewood, who worked for the district as an Adventure Club seasonal employee during the summers of 2021-2024.
Haslach, who also worked for the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District, allegedly used his position as a lunch/recess monitor, traffic guard and summer youth programs assistant to take photos of children in his care. Haslach then allegedly used those images to produce “morphed/computer generated/AI photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct,” according to U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Haslach also has been charged with possessing and receiving child pornography.
“This case shows how far behind the technological and legal curve our schools and lawmakers have fallen,” said Imran Ali, a Stillwater attorney who is representing the two sets of parents planning to sue Stillwater Area Public Schools. “Haslach was trusted with children and betrayed that trust by taking their photos and using AI to morph them into explicit, computer-generated images.”
“This victimization could have been prevented, but the schools and the Legislature have failed to act,” Ali said during a press conference at the Eckberg Lammers Law Firm announcing the notice of a claim to be filed and the start of an investigation. “These parents want to make sure no other family suffers the same horror.”
William Michael Haslach (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)
Haslach worked at Stillwater Middle School during the summer of 2021, at Lake Elmo Elementary during the summers of 2022 and 2024, and at Oak-Land Middle School during the summer of 2023; his last date of employment with the district was in August 2024, district officials said.
He worked for the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District from September 2021 until earlier this year, when he was charged criminally, officials said. His jobs were at Cowern and Richardson elementary schools and North St. Paul High School, district officials said.
Ali said there has been a growing pattern of school employees across the state abusing their positions of trust. During a news conference on Wednesday, he urged school district officials and state lawmakers to establish strict policies governing staff use of personal cell phones and images of children in their care.
“We trust our schools to keep our kids safe – including from predators who misuse technology,” Ali said. “This case should be a wake-up call for every school district in Minnesota.”
Ali said he expects more parents to join the potential litigation against the school district. Two other sets of parents contacted his office after the press conference on Wednesday, he said.
Strengthening protocols
Mike Funk, superintendent of Stillwater Area Public Schools, said Wednesday that he could not comment on specific allegations regarding Haslach because of pending litigation.
“The safety of our students is our top priority,” Funk said. “As a school community, we are deeply saddened that some of our students were among the victims in this case involving a former Adventure Club employee.”
Funk said the district has continued to strengthen its protocols for student supervision and implemented the following safeguards for school-age child care:
Staff may not use cell phones at any time when students are present.
Staff may not take pictures of students unless pre-approved by a supervisor, and photos may only be taken using a district-owned device.
The district this year also adopted “the most stringent personal-device policy in Minnesota” — a policy that bans student use of cellphones and other electronic devices during the school day at all levels — from pre-K through 12th grade, Funk said.
In addition, district officials have added a mandatory 90-minute training program on Sexual Exploitation Awareness and Response for all district staff, he said.
“We remain committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for every student in our care, and we will continue working closely with families, staff and law-enforcement partners to uphold the highest standards of safety,” Funk said in a statement.
Federal charges
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According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court, Haslach “received and possessed child pornography involving children that were abused by others — children that Haslach did not have access to personally.”
Investigators are working to determine whether Haslach distributed the morphed/AI photos that he created to others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. “Currently, there are strong indications that he did,” officials said. “Law enforcement will continue to update victims as the investigation progresses.”
Haslach was originally charged in Ramsey County District Court in January, but those charges were later dismissed because of the federal indictment, officials said.
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