Rusk County school officials face felony charges after threat allegations
Jun. 25—TONY — Two Flambeau school district officials have been charged with felony misconduct in Rusk County after law enforcement say the district administrator's husband sent threatening emails to a teacher.
Criminal complaints allege that Flambeau school district Administrator Erica Schley's husband, Jeffrey Schley, attempted to get the teacher to change his daughter's grade in a physical education class. The complaints also say the president of the Flambeau school board failed to hold a special meeting of the school board to address a complaint from the teacher about the incident.
The Flambeau school district is located in southern Rusk County.
Erica Schley of Tony was charged Tuesday in Rusk County Court with felony misconduct in office and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Flambeau school board President Julie Hauser, also of Tony, was charged May 14 with two felony counts of misconduct in office.
Schley's husband, Jeffrey Schley, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
According to the criminal complaint, Jeffrey Schley sent an email to a teacher on Jan. 19 demanding that his daughter's grade in a physical education class be changed.
Jeffrey Schley told the teacher and a principal in the school district that his daughter had a chance to be ranked No. 1 in her class, referred to his wife's position of authority in the school district, and complained that "classes like Art and Phy Ed (kept) getting in the way and she didn't even request these classes," according to the complaint.
Jeffrey Schley threatened to request video footage of the teacher's classes, asked to review the days his daughter received lower scores, accused the teacher of missing his daughter's participation in class, said the teacher's grading was possibly biased based on gender and said he would take the matter to the Flambeau school board, according to the complaint.
Jeffrey Schley copied Erica Schley on several emails to the teacher, but Erica Schley did not participate in the exchange, police say.
The teacher told police he believed Jeffrey Schley would try to ruin his career.
A Flambeau school board member told police that two board members asked Hauser, as school board president, to schedule a special school board meeting to discuss the teacher's concerns about Jeffrey Schley's emails, but that Hauser did not do so.
The board member told police that Hauser "won't allow (a special board meeting) to happen."
In a meeting on Jan. 28, Hauser told the teacher he could have contacted law enforcement if he felt threatened, a principal told police.
Police say Erica Schley, in a voicemail left with law enforcement, said that state statute doesn't specify when a special board meeting has to occur. Erica Schley also told police she was attempting to stay out of the matter because the school board member's request for a special meeting involved her husband.
The criminal complaint identified Jeffrey Schley as a Department of Corrections employee.
Hauser said she did not call a special board meeting because the teacher had asked to discuss the matter instead at a regular Feb. 17 school board meeting, according to the complaint.
Erica Schley's office did not immediately return a voicemail left seeking comment Thursday evening. Hauser also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Jeffrey Schley's next scheduled appearance in Rusk County Court is an Aug. 16 review hearing.
Hauser is slated for a status conference July 26, and Erica Schley's initial court appearance is scheduled for July 13.
