Police: Man lied his way into local elementary school, recorded child in bathroom

MONROEVILLE, Pa. — Police say a man lied his way into Ramsey Elementary School in Monroeville and recorded a child in a bathroom.

We first became aware of the scary situation after a handful of concerned parents got in touch with our newsroom.

According to the criminal complaint, Brian Mintmier, 26, approached the school’s main entrance Tuesday afternoon. There he was met by a district employee who is responsible for screening visitors. Mintmier asked the employee to use the restroom, and when he was permitted, he gained access to a hallway restroom unaccompanied.

A 10-year-old girl reported she was in a restroom stall when she looked down to see someone holding a cellular phone under the stall and recording her, according to the criminal complaint. School staff members eventually were able to get Mintmier out of the restroom and hold him in the school office until police arrived.

A box cutter was also found on Mintmier, police said. According to our partners at the Trib, in a letter sent Wednesday afternoon to parents by Gateway School District superintendent William Short, Mintmier was in the bathroom for nearly 40 minutes. In the letter Short said, “This egregious error in judgment is against school district policy and procedures.”

The superintendent also said the employee who granted access to Mintmier has been placed on leave pending an investigation.

Mintmier now faces many charges including invasion of privacy.

According to court documents, he was denied bail.

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