MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | State Fraud Investigators Examine Fridley Public Schools as Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent Are Placed on Leave

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Department of Education are investigating the district amid continuing financial concerns. School officials have appointed an interim superintendent and say classes will resume Monday.

FRIDLEY, MN (November 15, 2026).

Fridley Public Schools has placed Superintendent Brenda Lewis and Assistant Superintendent Rochelle Cox on paid administrative leave following the arrival of state fraud investigators at district offices Friday, November 13, marking a significant escalation in scrutiny of the Anoka County school district's financial management.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed that its Financial Crime and Fraud Unit is conducting an investigation in coordination with the Minnesota Department of Education's Office of Inspector General.

The investigation follows months of concerns about the district's finances, including an overdue annual audit, repeated short-term borrowing, incomplete financial reporting and warnings from state education officials about the district's ability to meet its financial obligations.

Authorities have not disclosed the specific conduct under investigation, identified any criminal charges or announced findings of wrongdoing against district employees.

The distinction is important as the district's financial difficulties become the subject of a criminal investigation whose scope has not been publicly explained.

District leadership placed on leave

The Fridley School Board held an emergency meeting Friday afternoon and decided to place Lewis and Cox on paid administrative leave while the investigation proceeds.

Dr. Amy Cochran has been appointed interim superintendent.

The district confirmed that it is cooperating with investigators but declined to provide additional details because the investigation remains active.

School officials also indicated that students are expected to return to classes Monday, November 16.

Friday was already designated as an evaluation and planning day, with no classes scheduled for students.

The BCA said there were no public safety concerns associated with the investigation.

The administrative leave decisions do not establish that Lewis or Cox committed misconduct. Neither the district nor state investigators have publicly explained whether the two administrators are suspected of wrongdoing or whether the board acted to preserve the integrity of the investigation and maintain district operations.

Financial problems preceded investigation

The investigation comes less than a week after MinneapoliMedia reported on the district's mounting financial difficulties and the Minnesota Department of Education's demand for additional records.

Fridley Public Schools has faced scrutiny over an estimated $8.3 million negative fund balance, an overdue fiscal 2025 audit and repeated borrowing intended to address operating expenses and existing obligations.

State education officials previously warned that the district's financial practices could create a cycle in which new borrowing becomes necessary to repay earlier debt.

The district's inability to complete its annual audit also contributed to the withdrawal of its bond rating by Moody's in September.

The Department of Education requested financial documentation covering payroll, budget records, overdue vendor payments and a borrowing arrangement involving approximately $23 million.

The November 6 deadline for those materials passed before Friday's investigation.

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Department of Education said Friday that Fridley had submitted some, but not all, of the requested documentation.

The department's financial oversight and the BCA's investigation are related developments in the district's broader accountability situation, but authorities have not publicly established whether the criminal investigation concerns the same transactions, reporting deficiencies or borrowing arrangements previously identified by state education officials.

It would be premature to draw that conclusion.

Questions about oversight and public accountability

Lewis, who became superintendent in 2023, had previously acknowledged the seriousness of the district's financial problems.

District officials attributed some reporting difficulties to turnover in the finance department, accounting discrepancies and errors involving expenditures and student information.

The district also identified special education accounting as an area requiring review, including the possibility that some eligible expenditures had not been properly documented for reimbursement.

Those explanations formed part of the district's response to state financial oversight before the BCA investigation became public.

The new investigation introduces additional uncertainty for the school board, employees, families and taxpayers.

Among the unresolved questions are the scope of the BCA's inquiry, the records investigators are examining, whether any criminal violations are suspected and how the district will manage its financial recovery efforts while its two senior administrators remain on leave.

The board also faces the responsibility of ensuring that financial records are preserved, required reporting continues and educational services remain uninterrupted.

Any eventual findings must be distinguished from the district's existing financial difficulties. Poor financial management, incomplete accounting records and criminal wrongdoing are not interchangeable conclusions.

Students and families await answers

For families in Fridley, the immediate concern is whether the leadership changes will affect classroom instruction, student services or the district's ability to address its financial obligations.

The district has indicated that classes will resume Monday under interim leadership.

There has been no public announcement that the BCA investigation requires a suspension of regular educational operations.

The school board will nevertheless need to provide families and taxpayers with reliable information as the investigation and financial review proceed, while respecting the legal limits on disclosure during an active investigation.

The Department of Education's earlier intervention was intended to establish a clearer understanding of the district's finances and determine what corrective measures were necessary.

Friday's developments have added a separate investigative process, one that may take time to resolve.

For now, the confirmed facts are that state fraud investigators are examining Fridley Public Schools, two senior administrators have been placed on paid leave, and an interim superintendent has assumed responsibility for district leadership.

The nature of any suspected wrongdoing remains undisclosed.

MinneapoliMedia will continue monitoring official developments, including statements from the BCA, the Minnesota Department of Education and the Fridley School Board, as the district works to maintain educational operations and address its financial condition.

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