Levi Tande (photo: Courtroom Media Pool - The Forum)
FARGO (KFGO) – A former Fargo Public Schools teacher and athletic trainer has pleaded guilty to felony sexual assault after being accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy last summer.
Levi Tande initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea at a hearing Wednesday.
According to court documents, the boy was suffering from hip pain last June, and went to the training room at South High School where Tande was contracted for the summer as an athletic trainer through Sanford Health.
The boy accused Tande of touching him inappropriately and putting his hand up the boy’s shorts.
The boy took video with his phone, which shows Tande asking the boy to take off his shirt and then trying to suck the boy’s chest. The boy said he didn’t know what to do and was terrified.
Tande initially denied asking the boy to take off his shirt, and told police he raised the boy’s shorts to take an ultrasound of his hip, but when he learned there was video of the incident, Tande asked to talk to a lawyer.
Tande resigned from the district June 29.
Tande faces a minimum of five years of supervised probation and up to five years in prison. He will be sentenced at a later date.
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