Ex-Twin Cities teacher gets life for child abuse
Former Twin Cities teacher and coach Aaron Hjermstad was sentenced Monday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years for sexually abusing 12 additional boys, adding to a prior 12-year sentence tied to four victims. Prosecutors say the abuse occurred while he worked at Excell Academy in Brooklyn Park and Mastery School/Harvest Best Academy in Minneapolis; a search warrant cited a catalog of videos labeled with 127 sets of initials, and Hjermstad pled guilty to the new counts in September 2025.
đ Key Facts
- Sentence: life with parole eligibility after 30 years (in addition to an existing 12-year sentence)
- Schools: Excell Academy (Brooklyn Park) and Mastery/Harvest Best Academy (Minneapolis)
- Evidence: warrant says videos were organized and labeled with 127 sets of initials; Hjermstad pled guilty to 12 additional counts in Sept. 2025