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Oshkosh school board votes not to renew contract of ex-Vel Phillips dean involved in January student restraint
Oshkosh school board votes not to renew contract of ex-Vel Phillips dean involved in January student restraint

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Oshkosh school board votes not to renew contract of ex-Vel Phillips dean involved in January student restraint

OSHKOSH – Christopher Willems is not returning to the Oshkosh Area School District. OASD's Board of Education upheld the district's decision to not renew the Vel Phillips Middle School Dean of Students' contract after his role in a Jan. 10 incident that led to a 13-year-old being handcuffed and pinned under a school resource officer for more than two minutes. Records obtained by the Oshkosh Northwestern from an executive session of a special board meeting May 6 showed the board voted 5-2 to approve the non-renewal of Willems' contract — with Kelly DeWitt and Timothy Hess casting the dissenting votes. Willems was initially placed on a five-day suspension in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 10 incident, with plans of reassigning him to Jacob Shapiro Elementary. But the district eventually informed Willems he was being placed a non-disciplinary administrative leave with pay for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year on Feb. 26 — the same day the Northwestern published two articles about the Jan. 10 incident. One of the articles referenced his prior involvement with students of color within the district, where Black and biracial students were expelled from the former Merrill Middle School following a fight with a white pupil in a Donald Trump costume. The white student went unpunished. Willems was seen in body camera footage speaking with police after the incident saying, 'I'm not sure what happened ahead of time, but before the dance he had been grabbed by a bunch of students and thrown to the ground.' The ACLU of Wisconsin, in a civil rights complaint against the district, claimed the white student harassed and threw water on three Black and biracial students. Read more: OASD Assistant Superintendent Julie Conrad-Peters accepts offer to become superintendent in Florida Wisconsin Education Association Council Region 5 director John Horn accused the district of scapegoating Willems, saying OASD was concerned with public opinion. 'What changed in the several weeks between when the district administration signed this agreement and when it reversed itself and placed the employee on indefinite leave is that members of the Oshkosh news media showed interest in the incident and filed information requests,' Horn wrote in a public statement. 'The school district's policy and personnel decisions should be based on facts and what is in the best educational interests of students, not on public opinion.' The situation stemmed from Willems' role in the Jan. 10 incident, during which he called for a school resource officer's assistance to assist with a student who refused to hand his cell phone to another teacher. OASD Board Policy 5136 only references law enforcement with regards to cell phones if 'the violation involves an illegal activity' or the device is used to transmit things of a threatening, obscene, disruptive, sexually explicit or harassment nature. The SRO's body camera footage shows Willems shoving the kid through a door several minutes before he pushes that student up against a wall and assists the SRO in restraining the child after the kid shouted a number of expletives. Wisconsin Statute 118.305 prohibits "covered individuals" such as school staff from using techniques on students that 'cause chest compression by placing pressure or weight on the pupil's chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen' or 'place the pupil in a prone position.' Read more: Oshkosh school district holding one final brick giveaway from Merrill Elementary June 10 In the district's investigation records, Willems said he didn't believe it was a law enforcement matter, adding he felt partially responsible for the student ending up in handcuffs. But Willems said he was 'following practices that have been accepted by leadership' in the same investigation and contended that he was 'unaware there was a MOU with the SRO.' The district investigation took issue with Willems on four separate issues during the incident, prompting administration to recommend two forms of discipline: suspending Willems without pay for five days or terminating Willems. After finding 'no previous discipline' on Willems' employee file, the district opted for the five-day suspension on Jan. 24, according to the records, before Willems signed a disciplinary agreement that would see him suspended Jan. 27-31. However, OASD reversed course on Feb. 26, writing to Willems that his reassignment 'will most likely be met with disruption by those not satisfied with the disciplinary outcome' considering 'the race component of the prior incident.' Willems' status between Jan. 31, the end of his five-day suspension, and Johnson's letter Feb. 26 is unclear. The student involved in the Jan. 10 incident was immediately allowed to return to Vel Phillips. The Oshkosh Police Department referred him on charges of resisting/obstructing and threats to a law enforcement officer but Winnebago County Juvenile Intake recommended closing the case, saying the situation was managed at the school level. Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@ and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @justinmarville. This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh school board votes not to renew contract of ex-dean involved in student restraint

Derby-themed gala wins big, raising over $130k for the Oshkosh Education Foundation
Derby-themed gala wins big, raising over $130k for the Oshkosh Education Foundation

Yahoo

time13-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Yahoo

Derby-themed gala wins big, raising over $130k for the Oshkosh Education Foundation

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – The Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) Education Foundation held its third annual Gala on May 2nd, raising over $130,000 for student programs. According to a press release from OASD, the event focused on helping adapted sports, school athletics, and co-curricular activities. It took place at The Waters Oshkosh Lakefront Event Venue and welcomed more than 110 community members. Images courtesy of the Oshkosh Area School District Alice in Dairyland Finalist: Olivia Lulich The OASD said this year's Gala had a fun Kentucky Derby theme. Guests wore festive outfits and played games like basketball, mini golf, bowling, ring toss and a hockey shootout. A lively horse racing game helped raise even more money for the students. Speakers at the event included OASD alumni and educators who shared how school sports changed their lives. The release says they spot about building confidence, teamwork, and leadership through school activities. The release states nine local leaders, including Carrie Bores, Dawn Davis, Marla Kopeky, helped lead the event by encouraging donations. There were also raffle prizes, including a signed Tyrese Haliburton jersey and a weekend trip to Door County. Wisconsin faces extreme fire risk for second day, DNR continues to issue warnings Theresa Duren, the Education Foundation's director, said the event showed the power of the Oshkosh Community. 'Every game played and dollar donated helped create more equitable, enriching opportunities for our students and we couldn't be more grateful,' she said. All the money raised will help students stay active, included, and inspired through school programs. For more details or to help support student needs, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Oshkosh Area School District hands out keepsake bricks from former Merrill Elementary & Middle School
Oshkosh Area School District hands out keepsake bricks from former Merrill Elementary & Middle School

Yahoo

time07-05-2025

  • General
  • Yahoo

Oshkosh Area School District hands out keepsake bricks from former Merrill Elementary & Middle School

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – The Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) spent the early afternoon hours on Tuesday handing out keepsake bricks from the demolished Merrill Elementary and Middle School building. Oshkosh families and community members who wanted a piece of the old building were invited to the OASD Maintenance Building.. Historic Tommy Bartlett Show property in Wisconsin Dells sold Bricks were also salvaged and kept intact as part of the construction for the Merrill Memorial Corner, which is being built on the site of the former school. About 1,000 bricks were harvested and cleaned from the most historic part of the old building, and are available again to be picked up on Wednesday from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, with one brick per family. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.

Oshkosh school district parts ways with dean of students involved in Jan. 10 student restraint at Vel Phillips
Oshkosh school district parts ways with dean of students involved in Jan. 10 student restraint at Vel Phillips

Yahoo

time15-04-2025

  • Yahoo

Oshkosh school district parts ways with dean of students involved in Jan. 10 student restraint at Vel Phillips

OSHKOSH – The Vel Phillips Middle School administrator who was at the center of a Jan. 10 incident in which a 13-year-old student was handcuffed and pinned under a school resource officer for more than two minutes is no longer with the district. Dean of Students Christopher Willems was initially placed on a five-day suspension with plans of being reassigned to Jacob Shapiro Elementary School, before the Oshkosh Area School District opted to suspend him with pay for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. Inside sources revealed OASD is not expected to renew Willems' contract while his name no longer appears in the Vel Phillips Middle School directory. Willems' departure from the district stems from his role in the Jan. 10 incident, during which he called for a school resource officer's assistance to deal with a student who refused to hand his cell phone to another teacher. The SRO's body camera footage showed Willems shoving the student through a door several minutes before he pushed that student up against a wall and assisted the SRO in restraining the child. Records obtained from OASD April 11 in response to a records request filed Jan. 17 by the Northwestern showed a district investigation that started Jan. 13 took issue with Willems on four separate issues during the incident — one of which OASD believed 'resulted in the student being handcuffed and detained by Oshkosh Police.' In a letter signed by OASD Assistant Superintendent of Operations Julie Conrad-Peters, OASD administration recommended two forms of discipline: suspending Willems without pay for five days or terminating Willems. After finding 'no previous discipline' on Willems' employee file, the district opted for the five-day suspension on Jan. 24, according to the records, before Willems signed a disciplinary agreement that would see him suspended Jan. 27-31. But OASD Executive Director of Human Resources Sabrina Johnson wrote Willems on Feb. 26 saying the district was placing him on a non-disciplinary administrative leave with pay for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. That letter was sent to Willems the same day the Northwestern published two articles regarding the Jan. 10 incident. One of the articles referenced Willems' involvement in another sensitive situation dealing with students of color within the district when he was at the former Merrill Middle School. In 2022, students of color were all expelled from Merrill following a fight with a white pupil in a Donald Trump costume who went unpunished. Willems was seen in body camera footage speaking with police after the incident saying, 'I'm not sure what happened ahead of time, but before the dance he had been grabbed by a bunch of students and thrown to the ground.' The ACLU of Wisconsin, in a civil rights complaint against the district, claimed the white student harassed and threw water on three Black and biracial students. In her letter to Willems, Johnson said his reassignment 'will most likely be met with disruption by those not satisfied with the disciplinary outcome' considering 'the race component of the prior incident.' 'While the District stands by that agreement, we do not think it will be good for either you or the new school to face disruption during the rest of the school year,' Johnson wrote in the communication. Willems' status between Jan. 31, the end of his five-day suspension, and Johnson's letter Feb. 26 is unclear. Dig deeper: Vel Phillips incident revives racial discipline disparities raised in 2023 REAL Oshkosh report The disciplinary agreement, signed by Willems Jan. 24, said he agreed not to file 'any suit, action, grievance or request for hearing as it relates to the facts of this matter, the investigation and/or discipline in this Disciplinary Agreement.' Attempts to reach Willems for an interview prior to publication of this article were not successful. According to both the student and the SRO's incident report, the Jan. 10 situation unfolded after the 13-year-old student refused to hand his cell phone over to a female teacher, prompting her to call Willems for assistance. SRO Dellas Vandenberg's report said Willems asked for his assistance, but OASD Board Policy 5136 only references law enforcement with regards to cell phones if 'the violation involves an illegal activity' or the device is used to transmit things of a threatening, obscene, disruptive, sexually explicit or harassment nature. With the SRO present, Willems grabbed the boy from behind under both arms and pushed him through a door before releasing the student after the kid refused to go to student services. Wisconsin Statute 118.305 prohibits "covered individuals" such as teachers, school staff and independent contractors from using techniques or maneuvers on students that 'cause chest compression by placing pressure or weight on the pupil's chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen' or 'place the pupil in a prone position.' Later in the incident, Willems shoved the student against a wall and assisted the SRO in restraining him when the boy failed to follow instruction to leave the school premises. The 13-year-old was put in handcuffs and pinned to the ground under the weight of the SRO for more than two minutes before he was taken into custody in a squad car. Oshkosh police referred charges of resisting/obstructing and threats to a law enforcement officer stemming from the incident, but Winnebago County Juvenile Intake recommended closing the case, saying the situation was managed at the school level. Dig deeper: Vel Phillips Middle School has grappled with several incidents since opening. A timeline. In an investigation led by Conrad-Peters and OASD Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Samuel Coleman, district administration felt Willems' failure to call a school administrator during the incident 'resulted in the student being handcuffed and detained by Oshkosh Police.' OASD also took issue with Willems using 'an inappropriate restraint' to push the student and assisting the SRO in the student's restraint, which is 'not OASD protocol or in alignment with NVCI restraint protocols.' The district further said Willems leaving the student unattended after the student had exited the building earlier in the incident "resulted in the student re-entering the building" and "The re-entry into the building escalated the situation to a safety concern." According to the report, Willems said he wouldn't have pushed the student through the student services door if he could go back in time, saying he did not believe it was a law enforcement matter. 'I feel partially responsible for him ending up in cuffs because I could have done more,' Willems said in the investigation. Willems said he didn't have any prior incidents with the student, adding their previous interactions typically had gone well. The student's family declined to comment on Willems' punishment. In her statement to the district, Vel Phillips Dean of Students Trisha Hunter said she wasn't sure what the staff could have done without the SRO but questioned why Willems was assisting and needed 'hands on.' 'It is hard when someone puts hands on kids. Makes me nervous every time that happens,' she said. Questions to the district regarding the SRO's use of force have been left unanswered. OASD said it reviews its memorandum of understanding with the OPD during its annual data review at the start of the school year "and will continue independent of any specific investigations or circumstances." In an email dated Jan. 23, Conrad-Peters asked Sergeant of the Criminal Investigation Division Christopher Gorte the following: In reviewing the incident described above, what improvements or changes would you recommend to the OASD and SRO Memorandum of Understanding or training? What specific training does an officer receive to become a School Resource Officer for the Oshkosh Police Department? What protocol or decision-making process does an SRO use when deciding to restrain or detain a student/juvenile in a school environment? Is the protocol different in the community? How does an SRO decide to intervene in a school situation? What guidance or training do SROs receive? In reviewing the incident described above, at what point should the SRO have been involved or not involved? Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@ and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @justinmarville. This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh school district parts ways with dean in Vel Phillips incident

Oshkosh Area School District to hold '24 hours of giving' to support teachers, students
Oshkosh Area School District to hold '24 hours of giving' to support teachers, students

Yahoo

time26-02-2025

  • General
  • Yahoo

Oshkosh Area School District to hold '24 hours of giving' to support teachers, students

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Officials with the Oshkosh Area School District say they will be participating in the Nationwide Give-Education Day Campaign by holding a '24 hours of giving' event in support of its teachers, students, and staff. Groundbreaking plans begin for 'first-of-its-kind' dementia village in Sheboygan County According to a release from the OASD, Give Education Day is a 24-hour online fundraising event in which the community is asked to come together on March 5 to help raise money to help support the teachers, students, and staff in the Oshkosh Area School District. Give Education Day is our chance to come together as a community and make a real difference for our students, teachers, and schools. Theresa Duren, OASD Education Foundation Director The OASD Education Foundation says they are seeking a total goal of $5,000 which will be used to make the following projects a reality in the next school year: Expand Student Learning Experiences Opportunities such as guest speakers, and hands-on projects that enrich learning beyond the classroom. Fund Innovative Classroom Grants Encouraging creative, hands-on learning experiences by supporting teachers' ideas for engaging students. Support Student Needs Supply basic needs items such as clothing, hygiene items, and school supplies, for our most vulnerable students. The OASD Education Foundation adds that they have already received a matching $1,000 gift from Aquire Restoration meaning that supports may have an opportunity to double their donation should they choose to participate in this special fundraising campaign. Popular bar near Lambeau Field to expand sky bar in time for NFL Draft Officials say safe and secure donations can be made anytime from now through midnight on March 5. Those interested in making a donation can do so here. Additional information and updates regarding the 24-hour fundraiser will continue to be made via the OASD Education Foundation's Facebook page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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