Latest news with #WisconsinInstituteforLawandLiberty
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monday is the deadline for city of Milwaukee to prove action on putting police in schools
If all goes as a Milwaukee judge ordered, school police will walk the halls of Milwaukee Public Schools on Monday. If that happens, it would be the first time in over 14 months that MPS has complied with state law requiring the presence of 25 school resource officers in district schools. Noncompliance with the law known as Act 12 prompted a lawsuit against the MPS school board, and later the city, by a district parent and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. Milwaukee Circuit Judge David Borowski set three separate deadlines for police to get into schools: Feb. 17, Feb. 27 and March 15. In issuing that third deadline, and growing increasingly frustrated, Borowski also found the city of Milwaukee liable for contempt in failing to get officers in place by his earlier deadlines. He ordered the city to be fined $1,000 per day for noncompliance. But Borowski also stayed those penalties until March 15, giving the city time to take certain steps to comply with Act 12. A hearing in the case is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday. To avoid penalties, the city must show the judge that: It has taken steps to implement a memorandum of understanding with MPS outlining the terms of the school resource officer program; School resource officers are either registered for, or have completed, training through the National Association of School Resource Officers, and; It can provide a list of the names of the 25 school resource officers, and the schools where they will work, to the judge. Since Feb. 27, both the city Common Council and Milwaukee Board of School Directors have taken formal action to approve a memorandum of understanding that contractually outlines the details of the school police program. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed the memorandum March 10, according to his spokesperson Jeff Fleming. Among other things, the agreement says school police should become involved only when a student breaks the law, and school discipline should be handled by MPS staff. Defining that line between police as law enforcement officials and school disciplinarians has been an issue in the past. Activists against SROs have argued that police too often entangle students with the legal system for behaviors that should otherwise be handled by school staff. Research has shown that students of color and students with disabilities are more likely to be arrested or suspended when police are present in schools. In creating the police-related requirements of Act 12, state lawmakers are forcing MPS to reverse course on a 2020 decision to terminate contracts with police. The district and school board took that action in the wake of national anti-police brutality protests and the murder of George Floyd. Borowski has made clear he wants police in schools as quickly as possible. But it still remains unclear exactly when that will happen. In a March 12 statement, the mayor's spokesperson, Jeff Fleming, said school police were expected to complete the required training by March 14. Fleming said he did not know specifics about when officers would be in schools or at which schools they would be stationed. A spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department declined to provide updates on Friday, citing ongoing litigation. A spokesperson for MPS also declined to provide updates Friday. Cleo Krejci covers K-12 education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@ or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Monday is the deadline for city to prove action on MPS police program
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monday is the deadline for city of Milwaukee to prove action on putting police in schools
If all goes as a Milwaukee judge ordered, school police will walk the halls of Milwaukee Public Schools on Monday. If that happens, it would be the first time in over 14 months that MPS has complied with state law requiring the presence of 25 school resource officers in district schools. Noncompliance with the law known as Act 12 prompted a lawsuit against the MPS school board, and later the city, by a district parent and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. Milwaukee Circuit Judge David Borowski set three separate deadlines for police to get into schools: Feb. 17, Feb. 27 and March 15. In issuing that third deadline, and growing increasingly frustrated, Borowski also found the city of Milwaukee liable for contempt in failing to get officers in place by his earlier deadlines. He ordered the city to be fined $1,000 per day for noncompliance. But Borowski also stayed those penalties until March 15, giving the city time to take certain steps to comply with Act 12. A hearing in the case is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday. To avoid penalties, the city must show the judge that: It has taken steps to implement a memorandum of understanding with MPS outlining the terms of the school resource officer program; School resource officers are either registered for, or have completed, training through the National Association of School Resource Officers, and; It can provide a list of the names of the 25 school resource officers, and the schools where they will work, to the judge. Since Feb. 27, both the city Common Council and Milwaukee Board of School Directors have taken formal action to approve a memorandum of understanding that contractually outlines the details of the school police program. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed the memorandum March 10, according to his spokesperson Jeff Fleming. Among other things, the agreement says school police should become involved only when a student breaks the law, and school discipline should be handled by MPS staff. Defining that line between police as law enforcement officials and school disciplinarians has been an issue in the past. Activists against SROs have argued that police too often entangle students with the legal system for behaviors that should otherwise be handled by school staff. Research has shown that students of color and students with disabilities are more likely to be arrested or suspended when police are present in schools. In creating the police-related requirements of Act 12, state lawmakers are forcing MPS to reverse course on a 2020 decision to terminate contracts with police. The district and school board took that action in the wake of national anti-police brutality protests and the murder of George Floyd. Borowski has made clear he wants police in schools as quickly as possible. But it still remains unclear exactly when that will happen. In a March 12 statement, the mayor's spokesperson, Jeff Fleming, said school police were expected to complete the required training by March 14. Fleming said he did not know specifics about when officers would be in schools or at which schools they would be stationed. A spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department declined to provide updates on Friday, citing ongoing litigation. A spokesperson for MPS also declined to provide updates Friday. Cleo Krejci covers K-12 education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@ or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Monday is the deadline for city to prove action on MPS police program
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With a judge's Feb. 17 deadline approaching, MPS has an offer on the table for school police
With a judge's Feb. 17 deadline for compliance quickly approaching, Milwaukee Public Schools' board of directors and the city of Milwaukee are still negotiating on an agreement that would fulfill state law. The law requires the district to create a school-based police program. During a Tuesday night press conference about MPS' newly named superintendent, MPS board member Missy Zombor responded to a reporter's question with details about ongoing negotiations related to school resource officers. Zombor said MPS has an offer out to the city: for the district to pay for 33% of the cost of the school resource officer program, plus provide training for 25 officers and five alternates. "(Part of) the shared revenue sales tax deal, the city was the recipient of over $200 million. MPS was not a recipient of that money," Zombor told reporters Tuesday. She said the district had offered to conduct negotiations with the help of a mediator. Via email, the spokesperson for Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Jeff Fleming, said MPS had agreed to maintain confidentiality about the status and terms of the ongoing negotiations about school resource officers. "It is highly disappointing MPS has broken that promise," Fleming said, declining to provide further details about the negotiations. "The city continues to act in good faith, and it is our hope we can resolve any differences through the mutually agreed upon process." Fleming also said the city had first offered mediation, not the district. Since Jan. 1, 2024, MPS has been required by a state law known as Act 12 to ensure 25 police officers are "present" in the district during school hours. MPS' lack of compliance with that law prompted a lawsuit by a district parent and the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. More: Despite MPS missing deadline, debate heats up on police in Milwaukee schools On Jan. 23, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski ordered that MPS have police in place by Feb. 17. That created a deadline of just over three weeks for MPS and the city to finalize their negotiations. On Wednesday, Zombor acknowledged that discussions took place about not pursuing media with updates about the negotiations. However, she said that when asked by a reporter during a news conference, she felt it was her responsibility "to answer honestly and transparently." "We remain committed to continuing the conversation to come to a resolution," she said. More: In Milwaukee, police respond to thousands of calls to MPS: 'Why do we call the police?' Act 12 provided no funding to implement the school resource officer program, which is estimated to cost at least $2 million annually. Instead, it required the MPS board and the city to agree to an "apportionment" of the costs. Deciding who pays for that mandate has been an issue ever since, with the school board and city disagreeing about which party should be responsible. The issue of school police is tense in Milwaukee: MPS previously cut ties with police in June 2020 amid calls from local activists about over-policing of people of color in the wake of national protests over the murder of George Floyd. In a statement Wednesday, Gov. Tony Evers said MPS has been working diligently in recent weeks to make progress. "I'm glad to see this good-faith effort to try and reach consensus. Let's get this done," Evers said. Cleo Krejci covers K-12 education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@ or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee schools make offer to fulfill Act 12 school police law
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Civil rights complaint accuses Green Bay school district of violating white student's rights
Civil rights complaint accuses Green Bay school district of violating white student's rights A Wisconsin law firm has filed a civil rights complaint against the Green Bay Area Public School District after previously alleging that a child was denied access to resources due to his race. Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty alleged in a Dec. 9 letter to the district that Green Bay King Elementary School parent Colbey Decker's son, who has dyslexia, was denied access to literacy resources because he is white. The law firm followed up with a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights on Jan. 28. WILL cited the Trump administration's directive for local educational agencies that receive federal funds, like Green Bay schools, to comply with colorblind treatment as decided in 2023's Supreme Court decision reversing affirmative action. "WILL has issued a report and called on the Trump Administration to investigate claims of race discrimination in K-12 schools, and we hope that this is the first case they resolve," stated a news release from WILL. The complaint is based on King's student success plan, which states that 'intentional work educating our focus students, prioritizing additional resources to First Nations, Black and Hispanic students" is a high priority for literacy. It alleges King principal Matt Malcore told Decker the district's "priority groups," who have traditionally underperformed, receive services first. Since the original letter was sent, the complaint was investigated as a discrimination complaint by the district's discrimination and Title IX coordinator, Abby Tilkens, according to the complaint. The complaint states that the district's investigation concluded that special education referrals could take place only after a specific round of interventions and that dyslexia on its own is not a specific learning disability. WILL stated that is untrue, as defined by Wisconsin law. The district did not respond to requests for clarification by the time of publication. The complaint also alleges that the district's investigation into the issue was biased, and that the investigator did not seek out district data regarding distribution of resources based on race. It states Tilkens also acts as an attorney representing the district. It also maintains the district did not meet special education law needs relating to Decker's son's dyslexia. The complaint cites requests by Decker for her son to receive an individualized education program and allegations that the district did not meet its obligation to conduct an evaluation. More: Wisconsin law firm accuses Green Bay School District of violating civil rights of a white student The district declined to comment on the allegations; district communications director Lori Blakeslee said the district had not yet received the official complaint from the Office of Civil Rights. WILL originally asked the district to rescind the student success plan, adopt a colorblind approach to resource allocation and provide immediate and adequate reading support to Decker's son. The district reportedly declined to take any action, according to the complaint. Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@ or on X at @nadiaascharf.
