(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
MADISON, Wis. — State Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R–Pleasant Prairie) is speaking out after a federal lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin alleged that multiple students at Oconto Falls High School were subjected to sexual grooming and abuse by school employees over a period spanning more than two decades.
In a statement released Wednesday, Nedweski said the allegations outlined in the lawsuit highlight the need for stronger safeguards to protect students and hold school officials accountable.
“The heartbreaking allegations in this lawsuit underscore exactly why Wisconsin Act 88, and the other grooming-related bills passed by the legislature this session, are so critical to protecting students and deterring abuse,” Nedweski said. “If the allegations in the complaint are accurate, it would represent a profound failure by adults entrusted with protecting these students.”
According to the complaint, at least fourteen students were allegedly victimized by grooming behavior or sexual abuse by school staff. The lawsuit names at least nine teachers accused of misconduct and alleges that school district officials ignored warning signs and complaints over the years.
The allegations stretch back as far as 2005 and include claims that other school employees who were legally required to report suspected abuse failed to do so. One alleged victim said her report to school officials was “not taken seriously,” according to the complaint.
Nedweski said the case demonstrates why lawmakers recently passed new legislation designed to address grooming and improve reporting requirements within schools.
“No student should ever feel that their reports of abuse are being ignored by the people responsible for keeping them safe,” Nedweski said.
The legislation referenced by Nedweski includes 2025 Wisconsin Act 88, which creates a criminal definition of grooming and makes it punishable by 10 to 25 years in prison, along with automatic sex offender registration.
Another measure, 2025 Wisconsin Act 89, requires school districts to conduct annual training for staff to identify grooming and boundary-crossing behavior and to implement policies regulating communications between school employees and students.
Nedweski also pointed to Assembly Bill 1004, legislation she authored that would prohibit school districts from using confidentiality agreements that allow districts to quietly move problematic educators to other districts without disclosure. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly and is currently awaiting action in the Senate.
Nedweski said the allegations described in the lawsuit serve as a reminder of why accountability measures are needed to protect children.
“I am proud of the bipartisan work we have done to strengthen protections for children,” Nedweski said. “While the allegations in this lawsuit must ultimately be resolved through the legal process, they serve as a sobering reminder of why strong safeguards and accountability measures are essential to protecting students.”
The lawsuit remains pending in federal court.
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6 Responses
Maybe this is the only way to get rid of public schooling, convict the manipulators.
They spelled Kenosha wrong.
What’s the name of the middle school in Bristol?
Or elementary school? I got confused about 9 year olds.
Again illustrating what happens in a target rich environment with people who work with children. It’s not an indictment on all teachers but there is a cohort of apologists out there who have a willingness to deny cold hard facts.
I have observed various official grooming. I refused many offers to have my daughter sent to Europe as a “Good Will Ambassador,” or participate in “beauty pageants,” etc. and in retaliation for rejecting them, well, I discovered what only victims see, their School-To-Prison pipeline! My new book, Domestic Terrorism: USA vs Veterans and the First Amendment, Dr. KC Tennant, DC exposé’s uncomfortable truths.