Slam Academy, a Northeast Minneapolis music production and DJ school, says it will close its studio at the end of the fall 2026 semester following renewed concerns about inappropriate behavior by a member of its management. The school has not named the staffer or described the specific conduct involved, but it says the matter prompted internal meetings, staff training, and outside legal and human-resources help.
According to KARE 11, Slam Academy said reports about a management member's inappropriate behavior were brought to its attention, and that the conduct fell short of the professional boundaries expected of leadership. The station reported that the school announced the closure in a social media post, saying it takes the concerns seriously and apologizing for its failure to uphold those boundaries.
Slam Academy told KARE 11 that new information had recently brought renewed attention to existing reports and concerns, though the station's report did not specify what that new information was or who raised it. The school has operated in the Twin Cities for 15 years, per the same account, and its current location sits at 1121 Jackson Street NE, Suite 142, according to Slam Academy's website, which describes the business as a music production and DJ school that traces its start to 2012.
Company Response Included Training and Outside Legal Help
Slam Academy said it responded to the concerns with company-wide meetings, staff training, and outside human resources and legal assistance, the station reported. The school stopped short of detailing what changes resulted from that training or what the legal review examined. KARE 11's report also noted that students shared details about the situation on social media and Reddit after the closure announcement, though those details were not independently verified in its reporting.
The school's Facebook page, run under the handle @SlamAcademyArts, lists more than 8,000 likes and shows 121 people talking about the page, a sign of the attention the closure news has drawn among current and former students.
Courses Still Listed Even as Closure Looms
Despite the announced shutdown, Slam Academy's site continued to list Minneapolis courses running into October 2026, including a 12-week music theory course that began meeting Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Central starting October 21, per the school's course listing. The broader Minneapolis course schedule shows additional classes starting the week of October 19, according to the school's own site.
James Patrick is identified on Slam Academy's website as the school's co-founder and owner. The site does not address, in the material reviewed, how the closure will affect currently enrolled students, staff, or ongoing coursework once the fall semester ends — a question KARE 11's reporting also left open.
