On October 28, 2025, the New Hope Police Department received a report regarding an incident that occurred the day before at Cooper High School, which is located in New Hope, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The report involved a custodian spying on a student while the student was in the bathroom. Officers spoke to the 15-year-old female student, hereinafter referred to as Victim, [NAME REDACTED] was at the school for an after-school activity and went to use a restroom on the second floor and had to wait while the custodian, later identified as JOHN EZEKIAL BROWN, the defendant herein, cleaned the restroom.
Victim entered the bathroom after the defendant confirmed she could. Victim reported that the defendant followed her into the bathroom and dried off the toilet seat. Victim stated that she closed the stall door, pulled down her pants and sat down on the toilet. Victim [NAME REDACTED] was waiting for the defendant to leave the room before urinating. Victim reported that she waited for approximately one minute when she observed the defendant looking at her from over the top of the stall wall. Victim [NAME REDACTED] could see the top half of the defendant’s face, including his eyes.
Victim stated that she gasped when she saw the defendant looking at her and that the defendant apologized and ran out of the room. Victim reported that she pulled up her pants as fast as possible and ran out of the bathroom and reported the incident to her instructor. Surveillance video shows the defendant enter the bathroom after Victim [NAME REDACTED], grabbing a towel and returning to the bathroom. The defendant doesn’t exit the bathroom again for nearly three minutes. The defendant is then seen exiting the bathroom just a moment before Victim sprints out of the bathroom.
The defendant is not currently in custody.
