A Fridley substitute teacher charged with sending sexually explicit images of his genitals to multiple students is believed to have fled the country as authorities seek his arrest on nine felony counts. Now, a tip to Alpha News is raising new questions about how Fridley Public Schools handled early reports of the alleged misconduct.
A source with direct knowledge of the case told Alpha News that the district conducted its own internal investigation into teacher Rey Dela Gente Jagolina, including interviewing students without parental notification and delaying a report to law enforcement.
“The district started its own investigation, interviewing kids without parental notification and didn’t report it right away,” the source said.
A school resource officer “found out and reported it immediately so a formal investigation could begin. Then the teacher fled the country,” the source added.
Alpha News contacted Fridley Public Schools to ask when district officials first became aware of the allegations, whether students were interviewed without parental notification, and whether there was any delay in reporting the matter to police.
Fridley Public Schools’ response
In a written statement, the district said it acted immediately once it learned of the allegations. The statement did not address whether students were interviewed without notifying parents before authorities were contacted.
“Fridley Public Schools is aware that the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office has filed a formal complaint against Rey Jagolina, a former teacher at Fridley Middle School,” the statement said.
“On November 6, 2025, the district became aware of allegations of misconduct. We immediately contacted the police and the Minnesota Department of Education, and he was placed on administrative leave. He resigned from the district on November 12, 2025.”
The district said Jagolina was hired on May 6, 2024, and that it has “fully cooperated with officials” and reported all allegations to the appropriate authorities, adding that counselors remain available to students. Officials said they can’t provide further details, citing the active investigation and personnel privacy laws.
Fridley teacher allegedly sent sexually explicit photos to students
According to the criminal complaint filed last week in Anoka County, Fridley police were notified on Nov. 6, 2025, after school staff reported that Jagolina had allegedly sent sexually explicit photos of his genitals to multiple male students, some as young as 14 years old, as well as a video of himself masturbating.
Court records state that staff told police Jagolina had been placed on leave pending an investigation and that he admitted knowing why he was being removed from the classroom and to having been inappropriate with students.
After police became involved, investigators interviewed the initial victim, identified as “ABC” in court documents, who reported receiving explicit photos and videos from Jagolina through Snapchat.
“On 11/2/25, at 8:19am, Defendant messaged ABC, ‘Just jerked off this
morning hahaha,’ and ‘Wanna see your abs bro,’ and then asked, ‘Can I sleep over there?'” the criminal complaint states.
Investigators later identified additional victims. Snapchat records obtained by law enforcement showed repeated sexually-explicit communications with at least 10 students between March and November 2025, according to the complaint.
Jagolina, 41, is charged with nine felony counts, including solicitation of a child through electronic communication, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and distributing sexual material to a child. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
The complaint states that a company involved in placing Jagolina in the school reported he claimed to be in Thailand as of Nov. 20, 2025. An active warrant is out for his arrest.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
