MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is accused of keeping the public in the dark over accusations of sexual misconduct or grooming by educators.
A yearlong investigation by the Cap Times of Madison found DPI investigated more than 200 educators from 2018 to 2023 on accusations of sexual misconduct or grooming behaviors toward students. The paper used DPI’s own internal records and discovered that at least 44% of 461 teaching license investigations during that period involved such allegations – and that 227 educators investigated for various types of misconduct either voluntarily surrendered their license or had it revoked.
A DPI spokesman told the Cap Times that the Wisconsin Legislature has failed to adequately fund the agency, which has one full-time and one part-time investigator to handle more than 100 investigations each year.
In a statement, state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos accused DPI of “falsely blaming the legislature for underfunding,” and said that “the lack of transparency is shocking and alarming.”