'Strip-searching' Suring students drew outcry earlier this year. Now lawmakers want to make what happened illegal.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
OCONTO - Three Republican lawmakers Wednesday introduced legislation that would change the definition of strip-searching students in Wisconsin's public schools.
The legislation, co-authored by Rep. David Steffen of Howard, Oconto Rep. Elijah Behnke and Green Bay Sen. Eric Wimberger, comes about six months after former Suring Superintendent Kelly Casper forced six female students to remove clothing down to their underwear during a search for vaping devices. The incident became public in February.
The proposed bill would expand what is defined as a strip search in schools under state statute to include students' "underwear-clad" private parts, making Casper's actions illegal.
Under current state law, students' private parts must have been exposed to be defined as a strip search. With the proposed draft, a search would be a strip search if the students were told to disrobe down to their underwear.
The current state statute says any official, employee or agent of a school district who conducts a strip search is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
Steffen said the bill was drafted after what he referred to as the "learning moment" in Suring.
"I have never seen such an obvious miss in our state law as it relates to protecting our children and how they felt safe in school," Steffen said.
Casper's actions prompted outcry in the small community, charges being followed against the longtime administrator and her resignation from the school district at the end of June.
While Casper was charged with counts of false imprisonment for holding the students in a bathroom during the search, she was not charged for strip searching the girls because their private parts were not exposed, though one student claimed her breasts were exposed when she lifted or pulled her bra away from her body during the search, according to police documents.
Judge Marc Hammer dismissed Casper's six counts of false imprisonment June 21.
The lawmakers said they have discussed the proposal with Suring school district officials and the sheriff. They said are confident they will have "broad support" on both sides of the political aisle when the state Legislature meets again in January, Steffen said.
"Defining the law and giving that gray area now concrete details is going to hopefully give parents the confidence to send their kids to school without worrying and give kids the ability to know what lines they can't push," Behnke said.
RELATED: Ex-Suring superintendent received $75K severance in resignation agreement
Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @benita_mathew.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Oconto-area lawmakers introduce legislation to prevent strip searches in schools
