(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s top education official has claimed that a story about how her department conducts investigations is inaccurate and demanded a public correction on an article claiming that the Department of Public Instruction has hidden its investigation into 200 cases of sexual misconduct and grooming from school staff.
“The reporting is not only incomplete and misleading – it is dangerously irresponsible,” Superintendent Jill Underly wrote. “It distorts the nature of the DPI’s work in this area, omits crucial legal and procedural facts, and undermines public trust in the very systems designed to protect Wisconsin students.”
The story claimed that 200 investigations from 2018 to 2023 into teachers for sexual misconduct and grooming were shielded from the public.
“We stand by our reporting and expect to have a more complete response Monday,” Capital Times Editor Mark Treinen told The Center Square late Friday afternoon.
Senate Committee on Education Chairman John Jagler and Vice Chairman Romaine Quinn asked a series of 12 questions of Underly and demanded to get a response within 24 hours on if she will be willing to testify before the committee.
Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, scheduled a hearing for 11 a.m. on Thursday to address her concerns.
Underly said in the letter that the investigations followed state law and the results of investigations are released “as soon as practicable and upon request” through open records requests.
The story said that the investigations, which previously were not public, were obtained through open records requests and quoted experts who said the transparency and process Department of Public Instruction goes through is “inadequately protecting students.”
“The licensure status of every educator in Wisconsin, including those who are under investigation, revoked, or surrendered, is publicly accessible on the DPI’s website,” Underly wrote. “Suggesting otherwise is not only misleading; it is a blatant mischaracterization of fact.”
The story said that the licensure status of a teacher is available on the website but that the reason the credential was surrendered is not divulged and quoted an expert saying that not providing the reason “contributes to a culture of secrecy around educator grooming and sexual misconduct.”
Nedweski has proposed bills that will create a crime of grooming along with provide guidelines for communication between teachers and students.
Underly’s letter indicates that the department is open to further law changes that will increase the department’s authority to investigate.
“The statutory definition of ‘immoral conduct’ does not currently include grooming or professional boundary violations, limiting our agency’s ability to obtain critical pieces of information,” Underly wrote. “Despite these constraints, DPI investigators work tirelessly within the bounds of law to remove unfit educators from classrooms and prevent further harm.
“I welcome a long overdue discussion about the need to both modernize our licensing systems, and update existing statutes to clarify, broaden and deepen the limited statutory authority the DPI has in these serious matters.”
