(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Kenosha, Wis. — In early March, the Kenosha Unified School Board voted 4–2 to reject the administration’s recommendation to terminate Indian Trail High School teacher Jonathan Arnett, instead opting for a lesser disciplinary action following allegations of inappropriate classroom conduct and use of an unapproved video.
The charges against Arnett stemmed from two separate incidents reported by students on November 11, 2024. According to the official Statement of Charges filed by Superintendent Jeffrey Weiss, students described feeling “extremely uncomfortable” during a lesson where Arnett demonstrated personal space boundaries by repeatedly moving closer to a female student—eventually sitting on her desk and leaning in until he was just inches from her face for approximately one minute.
In a separate incident, Arnett showed his class a sexually suggestive video titled National Night, which promotes procreation on Singapore’s national holiday. The lyrics contain explicit innuendo, including “let’s make em’ instead,” “put a PW in your oven,” and “mobilize your body,” among other sexually charged metaphors. The video was not part of any KUSD-approved curriculum, and Arnett admitted he waited until Principal Scott Kennow left the classroom before playing it, telling students, “now that Mr. Kennow has left, I can show the video for this lesson.”
In interviews with district officials, Arnett acknowledged both incidents. He admitted the physical proximity lesson made at least one student uncomfortable and conceded there were “better ways” to deliver the content. He also admitted the video was controversial and not approved, acknowledging it should not have been shown under the district’s policy on controversial instructional materials.
District officials cited multiple policy violations, including the employee code of ethics, rules governing acceptable use of classroom technology, and the district’s policy on controversial issues (Policy 6810). Superintendent Weiss wrote that “any reasonable person watching the video would conclude that it is not appropriate for school” and that Arnett’s decision to wait until his supervisor had left the room “evidences that he knew the video was not appropriate to show students.”
Despite the administration’s recommendation to terminate his contract, the board opted for progressive discipline. Board member Kristine Schmaling introduced a motion to reject the termination and instead impose Step 3 discipline, require a performance improvement plan, and assign a peer mentor.
Voting in favor were Schmaling, Board President Mary Modder, Rebecca Stevens, and Sabrina Landry. Opposed were Yolanda Adams and Bob Tierney. Board member Todd Price exited the meeting before the vote and did not participate.
As a result, Arnett remains employed at Indian Trail High School under heightened supervision. The board’s decision has sparked debate in the community over where the line lies between controversial instruction and classroom misconduct.
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14 Responses
How many stories have been written about this school? Why is it not being closed?
Close it and then do what?
It’s not All Doom and Gloom. There are some great kids that come out of that school system, athletes too.
yeah because the attendance secretary was falsifying their records to keep those athletes playing
At KUSD, there needs to be proof of full penetration before they will act. KUSD hires pedos and child rapists. Why would this matter?!
Thought you guys wanted everyone to have more kids. Where do we get the motherhood medals?
That makes no sense- solid effort troll. LMAO
A parent has to really hate their kid(s) to send them to Indian Trail!
Because Bradford and Tremper are any better???? Staff from those schools have been on this site plenty too. Not everyone can afford to send their kids to private school.
Kevin, my friend, I think it’s time to rename this blog, “You can’t make this sh_t up.”
Indian trail seems to be in competition with Westosha central. I mean every month they in the headlines for some pure fuckery!!!
My Principal, our PTO, my Fellow Teachers, and I would have never permitted a colleague to spend a single minute with the kids in our school going forward had a similar set of circumstances occurred in our school. Either he stays away…or we lock him in that closet while we all take turns covering his class.
To let him back with the kids….and allow him to resign….only means this punk POS gets a job in another District to restart his grooming process in another community.
What a gutless and cowardly set of decisions made by Jeffrey Weiss and his Stooges down at the ESC.
KUSD is out of control with this nonsense. You have a mentally ill pervert like Jonathan Arnett NOT being prosecuted, NOT being fired, NOT being removed from contact with students, and NOT being forced to resign. No….he is collecting a paycheck and LAUGHING at the Cowardly actions of Jeffrey Weiss, the School Board, every ESC person or Administrator involved in this, and the people of Kenosha whose children have to be in the same room as him.
The old phrase “Those who can’t do, teach (or become a Superintendent)” is regrettably a truism about far too high a percentage of those who go into Education. Weiss is an unintelligent, weak, and feckless Leader. “Doctors of Education” Degrees reward those who could never succeed in the real world of business or the military. What Business or Military Leader would last a day where the results of their actions would be a $19 Million annual deficit, test scores crashing, and perverts and weirdos running amok under their command?
I get that Weiss continues to serve as Superintendent at the pleasure of the School Board. And, ultimately, the people of Kenosha need to look themselves in the mirror. Again, by electing a retard like Rebecca Stevens, a pervert like Carl Bryan, and the rest of the School Board Stooges who do only the bidding of the Marxist KEA, these stories will not end and continue to get more bizarre and dangerous to our children.
So glad to have my child done with school and out of KUSD!!! Now if only we could stop our taxes from going to KUSD, until they get their shit together and fire these losers along with Weiss!!!