Wisconsin superintendent placed on leave following searches

Listen to this article

SURING, Wis. (AP) — A superintendent of a Wisconsin school district who is accused of illegally confining six female students has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Suring Public Schools superintendent Kelly Casper was charged with false imprisonment after the students said she asked them to take off some of their clothes in a high school bathroom in searches for vaping devices Jan. 17 and 18.

At a school board meeting Wednesday night in Suring, about 50 miles north of Green Bay, that was attended by dozens of parents, students and others, many spoke in favor of removing Casper from her job as the district’s top administrator.

Jamie Barke, of Hobart, told the board that more students will be left unprotected if it didn’t take any action. Her comments were met with a standing ovation from several in the bleachers.

“You all have allowed a predator in your school system and now we say enough is enough,” Barke said. “I say predator because she has done this before.”

Casper, 51, said the searches were her first at Suring, but that she had previously searched students an estimated 20 times while with the Coleman School District, her previous employer.

Court documents do not list an attorney for Casper. She is charged with six counts of false imprisonment. If convicted, she could face a maximum penalty of six years in prison on each count. Casper’s initial court appearance is set for March 23.