Suring superintendent suspended indefinitely

Two days after being charged with six counts of false imprisonment in connection with student searches, Suring School District Superintendent Kelly Casper was placed on indefinite paid administrative leave March 2.

The Suring School Board appointed Michelle Pendl, director of special education and curriculum coordinator, to handle most day-to-day administrative duties. Because Pendl does not have a state license to serve as a school administrator, any tasks that require a licensed person will fall to board president Wayne Sleeter.

Casper is charged with taking six girls, ages 14 to 17, one by one into a small restroom in January and ordering them to strip to their underwear to be searched for vaping devices. In addition to the criminal charges, the girls’ parents — who were not notified until after the searches — have hired a civil rights attorney and filed a notice of claim, a precursor to a potential lawsuit.

The board listened to often emotional comments from the community before deliberating for more than an hour in closed session before coming out to announce Casper’s suspension effective March 3. She did not attend the meeting, and Sleeter said she had been working from home for more than a week.

Terry Garrigan, a teacher in the district, began by saying he was accompanied by and representing many of the staff who plan to be there for the students to help them persevere.

“We would like to express the hurt that we are feeling by comments that are being made about our school and our community to which we have dedicated so much of our life,” Garrigan said. “We are not choosing sides, but with our many years experience, we are here on behalf of our kids and with the devotion we have to not only educating your children, but also coaching them, counseling them and so much more.”

Brenda Schrank, like several other parents, prefaced her remarks by thanking the teachers and emphasizing that her problem is with the administration.

“I have come to the point where if my son gets called to the office, he is to text me and let me know he is going to the office, and then his first words there are to be, ‘Call my mom,’” Schrank said. “I have instructed him not to say anything to anyone because of fear of everything that’s going on.”

Leslie Laluzerne said the board’s job is to make decisions, follow policy and provide a safe environment for all the children, school staff members and our community.

“At this point, the lack of communication, knowledge of your own board policies … and failure to protect and serve have left our small community, parents and kids, to go forward with a tarnished ability to trust in the efforts of you moving forward,” Laluzerne said.

She asked audience members to stand if they support removing the entire board from office, and about half of the 200-plus people in the audience stood.

The mother of a child who is on the autism spectrum said tearfully that parents of special needs kids struggle with turning them over to babysitters or teachers — “the first day I brought him here I was terrified” — and the Suring staff has become like family to him.

“But this one person is making me question, do I continue to send him?” she said. “He can’t come home and tell me if someone mistreats him.”

Jamie Barke, of Hobart, called Casper a predator because “she openly admits she has done this before,” and she promised to “rally every single parent in the state” to peacefully protest outside the school building unless the board acted.

“If you think that we will stand by and allow people to completely overstep their bounds, then you are wrong. You had your time to do the right thing,” Barke said. “You all have allowed a predator in your school system, and now enough is enough.”

Tabitha School, of Maple Valley, turned to the teachers and emphasized that the parents’ anger is not with them.

“You are their safe zone — every one of you. My kids love you. We would never work against you, we would never fight against you, and as for fighting for those kids, if it was your child, we’d fight for them,” School said. “We will fight for every kid that had to go through this, because it’s wrong — every single thing that she did was wrong. And it’s disgusting that it has to come to this.”

School said the parents do not condone drugs and alcohol in the school, but it’s the parents’ job to discipline their children. She said the girls’ parents should have been called before any discipline was imposed.

Most of the crowd stayed in the elementary gym while the board met in closed session, and they applauded the unanimous vote to put Casper on administrative leave.

Sleeter read a statement on behalf of the board and promised a more detailed letter would be sent to all parents the next day. He began by thanking the people who came because it showed they still believe their voice matters and wanted to be heard.

“I believe I also speak for the board when I say this is easily the most difficult situation I have ever been involved with as a board member,” Sleeter said. “Please know that we have to walk a tightrope on this issue as board members. As we know, the board and the sheriff’s department are actively involved in an investigation. If we jump over that process, we open the district up to all kinds of legal exposure.”

If board members appear to be tight-lipped, it’s because they have to act a certain way so as not to create new legal problems for the district, he said, adding that the board will continue to investigate and consider further action.

“While it is lost in all of this, everyone in this room needs to know that we have a vaping problem in our school, just like many districts do,” Sleeter said.

Vape cartridges usually contain nicotine but can also contain THC and other dangerous and sometimes deadly drugs like fentanyl, he said, although that has not been alleged with regard to the six girls who were searched.

“This is more than smoking in the bathroom,” Sleeter said. “Vaping can have deadly consequences for our kids.”

Sleeter also said the board wanted to recognize the staff and students.

“Sadly, this story exploded through the media before any investigation was complete. As a result, our kids and staff were put in the limelight for something they did not want to be part of,” he said. “We are impressed with the professionalism of our staff in continuing to provide a high level of education we have come to expect as Suring Public School. We have also heard many times how the kids just want their normal school back.”

Sleeter said the Suring Public School will become an open campus again effective March 21. The board had closed the campus as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.

Casper's initial appearance in Oconto County Circuit Court is scheduled for 10 a.m. March 23.