KUSD Special Education Staffer Suspended for Misusing Work Computer, Past Criminal Record Revealed

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Teresa Smith – Special Education Employee, KUSD
(Kenosha County Sheriff)

Kenosha, Wis. — A Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) employee assigned to the special education department has been disciplined for using her district-issued computer to post political content on social media during work hours. The employee, 51-year-old Teresa Smith, formerly known as Teresa Sarazin, currently works as an administrative support specialist.

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KCE received a tip about Smith’s conduct and confirmed the allegations through records obtained under Wisconsin’s public records law. According to a disciplinary letter dated February 26, 2025, Smith accessed Facebook and a local news site from her work computer while on the clock.

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KUSD’s investigation revealed that Smith used her district-issued device during work hours to troll people on Facebook and other social media platforms, posting condemnations of Kyle Rittenhouse and others associated with him. These actions were in violation of the district’s policies on appropriate technology use and employee conduct.

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During an interview with KUSD Human Resources, Smith initially denied using her work computer for social media but later admitted it was “possible” when confronted with usage logs. Officials determined she violated the district’s Staff Technology Acceptable Use Policy and rules requiring honesty during investigations.

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As a result, Smith was issued a one-day unpaid suspension, which she served on March 5, 2025. She returned to work the following day. The letter also warned that further violations could result in additional discipline, up to and including termination.

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While the district acknowledged Smith’s First Amendment rights, it emphasized that using taxpayer-funded equipment for personal or political activity during paid work time is prohibited.

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Smith’s personnel file also includes a disclosure of prior criminal convictions. On her job application, she wrote: “2 Misdemeanor charges Battery & Disorderly conduct, 18 month probation, Kenosha County. Nothing since then and willing to discuss further at time of interview.”

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However, a review of court records and the original criminal complaint shows that Smith was initially charged in 1999 with four offenses: second-degree recklessly endangering safety while armed, false imprisonment, substantial battery, and disorderly conduct while armed. The charges stemmed from a domestic incident in which she allegedly struck her then-husband, burned him with a cigarette, brandished a butcher knife, and physically blocked him from leaving their apartment.

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According to the complaint, she allegedly told him, “I’m going to kill you,” while holding the knife in a threatening manner. Prosecutors ultimately dismissed the felony counts in a plea agreement. Smith was convicted of two misdemeanors and sentenced to probation.

KUSD has not commented on whether it was aware of the original felony charges at the time of her hiring or whether her recent conduct may impact her continued employment. Smith remains in her current role with the district.

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19 Responses

  1. Way to go, KUSD. That’s why they don’t want federal authorities in their facilities. It’s not about protecting undocumented immigrants; it’s about protecting staff members from being caught. Dear KUSD HR, don’t you think it’s time to replace your recruiter and hire someone else?

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  2. It’s fucking obvious that KUSD is not really running background checks on most of these people. Whether it’s a money thing or oversight, they just legit haven’t run them on certain people.

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    1. I’ve never seen any HR department within the state of Wisconsin do legitimate work. They are terrible and lazy and slackers but walk around with their noses in the air. Its sickening because they make great money. I have worked for the state for years and they are terrible.

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      1. It does seem that there’s always the attitude that since they don’t have to make a real product that can be examined and evaluated in a lab or Road test, that, “who cares what quality or lack of quality gets hired?”. Maybe they figure that teaching isn’t going to go on anyway, so just get the seats filled?

  3. I guarantee she would have terminated had she been posting Conservative viewpoints.

    I wonder why we only see 1% of all of these outrageous events showing up in the Kenosha News. I bet the majority of Kenoshans have no clue what is going on right in Jeffrey Weiss’s face .

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  4. How on earth did she get hired? That’s a bigger story. What convictions prevent you from working in education. She wouldn’t get hired in healthcare with those convictions on her record.

    1. Heck, she might not even get hired at Parkside. They probably wouldn’t even create a new job title for her at Carthage.🤣

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