KENOSHA, Wis. — A licensed therapist and former foster parent who has previously faced criminal charges involving firearms and intoxication — and who is currently facing pending criminal charges for harassment restraining order violations as well as an OWI case — is now being accused by critics of allegedly attempting to extort a respected Kenosha nonprofit over a recent staffing decision.

Kenosha County Eye is intentionally withholding the name of the influential and widely respected organization to avoid amplifying harm to a charity that serves families across the community.

Jacqueline Niccolai is currently out on bail in a pending case involving two counts of violating a harassment restraining order. She is also moving through court proceedings on an OWI charge stemming from a drunken crash previously reported by KCE.

Police reports previously obtained and published by KCE reflect that Niccolai was charged with carrying a firearm while intoxicated. In that same incident, according to law enforcement reports, she threatened to murder multiple police officers while armed and intoxicated. Body-camera footage from that arrest shows her appearing to attempt to kick out a squad car window.

Separate law enforcement documentation reflects that Niccolai later attempted suicide and was taken into custody under a Chapter 51 emergency detention mental health hold.

KCE has also previously reported that Niccolai was removed from an airplane due to intoxication and later caused a drunken vehicle crash that resulted in pending OWI proceedings.

In prior reporting, KCE also detailed text messages attributed to Niccolai in which she boasted about blackmailing judges, writing “I’m sitting in bed blackmailing a judge,” further fueling criticism about her tactics when disputes escalate.

Now, Niccolai appears to be targeting a well-respected nonprofit following its decision to hire an individual she opposes.

Rather than publicly disclose her allegations, Niccolai issued a conditional statement:

“If she’s not ‘relieved of her duties’, her name will be released.”

In a separate message, she wrote:

“If I name them, they will have a reputation. If I don’t, they have an opportunity to turn it around or walk away without community backlash.”

Critics across social media have characterized this conduct as alleged extortion, arguing that conditioning reputational harm on employment action fits Wisconsin’s criminal framework for coercive threats.

Several commenters sharply rebuked Niccolai’s approach. One wrote:

“This isn’t about exposing people — it’s if you don’t do what I say.”

Another responded:

“No, it sounds personal and this is bullshit.”

A third commenter called the tactic “reckless and irresponsible,” writing that damaging the integrity of organizations “to prove a point about one person without context or proof is honestly just the same kind of bullshit you claim to be fighting against.”

Wisconsin Jury Instruction — Criminal 1474, addressing Threats to Communicate Derogatory Information under § 943.31 — a statute commonly referred to as criminal extortion — provides that, before a defendant may be found guilty, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that: (1) the defendant maliciously threatened to disseminate or communicate certain information about another person; (2) the defendant maliciously threatened to communicate information, whether true or false, that would humiliate or injure the reputation of that person; and (3) the defendant made the threat with intent to extort money or any pecuniary advantage or with intent to compel the person threatened to do an act against that person’s will.

Whether Niccolai’s conduct legally satisfies those elements would be a matter for law enforcement and prosecutors to determine. No criminal charge related to this alleged conduct has been filed.

The executive director of the organization responded to KCE in writing:

“[Name of organization] was made aware of the aforementioned [comunications] … that was putting the [organizaion] in a negative light. [Name of organization] determined the allegations to be unfounded and elected not to respond publicly. [Name of organization] has conducted background checks on all current employees, and all staff members continue to fulfill their job responsibilities and are in good standing. [Name of organization] remains focused on its mission of supporting [redacted] families within the community.”

The nonprofit continues to serve families throughout Kenosha and remains highly regarded in the community. Niccolai, however, does not.