A group of parents is taking legal action against Milwaukee Public Schools, alleging misconduct by a former paraprofessional who confessed to confining students in a boiler room. This individual resigned in November 2023 after an investigation into the matter.
The complaint claims that the paraprofessional repeatedly detained three students in the room, which students referred to as the “dungeon,” over the course of the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years, as reported by WITI.
He reportedly described his actions as a “scare tactic” during the investigation.
Evidently, the tactic was effective.
The legal filing describes the boiler room as packed with “chemicals, cleaning agents, boilers, and other machinery,” posing significant risks to students left in darkness inside.
According to the complaint highlighted by Law&Crime, staffers forced students to remove their shoes before locking them inside the “dungeon.” While confined in pitch darkness, the students endured strong chemical odors. On occasion, the paraprofessional reportedly blocked the door with his body to prevent any attempt by the students to escape.
A video obtained by WITI shows the paraprofessional putting a child into the boiler room and barricading the door to keep the child inside. The child remains inside for about a minute until the paraprofessional drags the child out by the arm.
The lawsuit names three addtional staffers it says knew about the abusive behavior at Thurston Woods School, a K-8 school in Milwaukee.
“Concerningly, MPS did not report any of these instances of seclusion and restraint to the Department of Public Instruction, in violation of Wisconsin law,” attorney Drew DeVinney said in a statement. “Additionally, the sole video produced by MPS shows multiple staff members in the vicinity of this unlawful conduct when it occurred and that no one intervened to stop it.”
The school system declined to comment about the lawsuit but said it is “committed to maintaining safe and welcoming learning environments for all students and staff.”
“The district thoroughly investigated this matter in 2023 and took appropriate disciplinary action which included termination of employment,” the district said.
It did not comment on any harm to students who were mistreated in the incidents.
