(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a pair of bills into law Friday aimed at providing more transparency into teacher’s license investigations related to sexual misconduct and prevents local school officials from entering into agreements to hide information related to staff immoral conduct.
Senate Bill 785 requires the state Department of Public Instruction to keep a free, online searchable platform to include information on teachers who have had their licenses revoked and who are investigated by DPI.
The portal must name the license holder and the outcome of the investigation and must include if the teachers’ license holder voluntarily surrendered his or her license to avoid further investigation.
DPI currently posts each license holder who is under investigation and the name of each person whose license is revoked after an investigation.
The bill comes in response to a Capital Times investigation last year that showed DPI was shielding information on how it handled 200 cases of sexual misconduct and grooming between 2018 and 2023 and was forcing the public to file public records requests to access that information.
“By requiring DPI to post not only the names of license holders but also the results of investigations, AB 795 addresses this lack of transparency and strengthens the ability of families and school leaders to make informed decisions regarding the safety of students in their care,” bill sponsor Rep. Nate Gustafson, R-Omro, said in testimony on the bill.
Assembly Bill 1004 prevents schools from entering into confidentiality agreements related to investigations into immoral conduct.
“These ‘pass the trash’ policies simply move problematic staff from one school to another, putting more students at risk of being preyed upon,” Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, said as the bills passed the Assembly.
She noted that 10 states – including Michigan, Iowa and Illinois – have bans in place on confidentiality agreements.
