Suring School Board Accepts Kelly Casper Resignation

Near the end of a long, hard meeting on Wednesday, June 8, Suring School Board met in closed executive session for more than two hours. After returning to open session shortly before 10 p.m. they voted without dissent to accept a "resignation/separation agreement" with Superintendent Kelly Casper effective Thursday, June 30.

The resignation came before all charges against Casper were dismissed at the conclusion of motions hearing in Oconto County Circuit Court on Tuesday, June 21.

All seven school board members were present for the June 8 meeting, and all voted to accept the resignation agreement. They are Cathy Lundgren, Dennis Piepkorn, Gary Regal, Amanda Seibert, Rhonda Stuart, Wendy Wozniak and Board President David Lally.

Casper, 52, had been on paid administrative leave since March 2, in response to charges of false imprisonment that had been brought against her in response to a public uproar that erupted in January after she forced six students to strip to their underwear so she could search them for vaping products. The school nurse was present in the small restroom where the searches took place.

After complaints from parents, Casper was charged by Oconto County District Attorney District Attorney Edward Burke with six counts of false imprisonment, felony charges that could have brought up to six years in prison. Burke had previously refused to file "strip search" charges against Casper.

The false imprisonment charges against Casper were dismissed by order of Brown County Circuit Court Judge Marc Hammer at the conclusion of a motions hearing in Oconto County Circuit Court on Tuesday, June 21.

According to the complaint in the now dismissed case against Casper, the school nurse told an investigator that Casper talked to each of the girls involved in the searches, telling them they were "better than this," they were "making bad choices," that she "really cared about them" and their future, and didn't want to make the searches but did so because she was concerned about them and their futures.

Casper, 52, who lives at 10710 E. Rost Lake Road, Coleman, and/or the Suring School District, may still face civil suits in connection with the searches that took place in January of this year.

Reports are that about 50 of Casper's supporters from Coleman and Suring were in the courtroom for the June 21 motions hearing. Casper had been a principal at Coleman High School before accepting the Suring superintendent position.

Numerous people who objected to the searches were also in the courtroom.

In addition to accepting Casper's resignation at its June 8 meeting the school board handled regular monthly business that included approving several technology expenditures, approving compensation for the Cross Country Coach beginning with the 2022 season and approving WIAA Affiliation for the 2022-23 school year, at no charge.

Principal Zachara Beeksma reported that nine students were enrolled in the newly implemented Rural Virtual Academy for summer credit recovery and that Suring seniors received over $60,000 in athletic and academic scholarships. He highlighted that Lena High School graduated 25 students in May.

approve 2021-22 Budget Adjustments as presented. Carried 7-0.

The board approved purchase of two servers and installation from New Era or not more than $27,563.44; purchase of Chromebook Insurance from TRA for not more than $14,149. (with Regal opposed); purchase of additional Security Cameras, Storage and

Software from Martin Security Systems for not more than $31,794.54; purchase of eight Desktop computers from Vanguard for not more than$6,000; purchase of 10 Computer Monitors from CDWG for not more than $1,362.80; purchase of 12 Interactive Smart Panels from Tierney Brothers for not more than $28,800, and compensation for the Cross Country Coach beginning with the 2022 season, as presented by six to one vote, with Seibert abstaining.

At 7:37 p.m. the board voted without dissent to go into closed session, and they reconvened in open session at 9:50 p.m.

After returning to open session they voted on a number of issues, all approved 7 to zero.

Those issues, in addition to accepting the resignation agreement with Casper, included:

*Extending a teaching contract for the position of School Social Worker for the 2022-23 school year to Meagan Keplinger;

*Extending a teaching contract for the position of Elementary Counselor for the 2022-23 school year to Carly Lemke;

*Extending a teaching contract for the position of Special Education Teacher for the 2022-23 school year to Jessica Stillings;

*Extending a teaching contract for the position of Elementary Teacher for the 2022-23 school year to Heather Skarban;

*Approving Charles Winkler as summer student help with Building and Grounds, as presented; and

* Approving Becky Dickson as summer technology support, as presented.

The next regular board meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13.

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