The Dakota County Attorney’s Office won’t file charges against a South St. Paul City Council member who came under fire after a child at her in-home day care allegedly ingested meth, capping several tumultuous weeks in the south metro city.
Pam Bakken grabbed headlines in February, amid reports that the state Department of Human Services had suspended Bakken’s license to operate a day care business in her South St. Paul home.
Lakeville Police Department reports offered more details about the Dec. 6 incident:
A child in Bakken’s care allegedly began acting out of character, fidgeting and struggling to focus before vomiting. The child subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamines at a local hospital. He later told his mother he ate something he found in the bathroom that resembled an “onion crumb.”
News of the episode set off an uproar in South St. Paul, as some residents demanded Bakken resign from the City Council, to which she was first elected in 2020. For the last several weeks, the public comment period at routine meetings has transformed into a venting session, as residents variously aired their anger or support for Bakken.
Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena’s decision not to pursue charges against Bakken dented the efforts of her detractors, who filed a petition earlier this month to remove her from office. That contingent, organized under a group called “Recall Bakken,” said in a statement that it’s suspending its efforts.
Keena said in an April 29 news release that the state can’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the child ingested meth at Bakken’s daycare, given the timing of his symptoms. And she added the state can’t prove Bakken knew the drug was in her home and “intentionally or recklessly allowed the child to be placed in a situation likely to harm the child’s health.”
Bakken, whose in-home daycare license remains suspended, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The news release states she’s appealing the suspension, with a hearing set for July 31.
