School leader charged in strip searches
Suring superintendent accused of false imprisonment
OCONTO – The superintendent of the Suring School District has been charged with six counts of false imprisonment related to the strip search of students on Jan. 18, Oconto County District Attorney Edward Burke announced Monday.
Burke had previously found the searches themselves did not violate state law, but said he then reviewed the state code relating to the ability of a school employee to confine a student.
“The State concludes that Kelly Casper lacked legal authority to confine the students in a small restroom located off the nurses office located in the Suring School Public School complex,” Burke said in a news release. “The facts and surrounding circumstances leads the State to conclude that the children involved did not consent to being confined.”
Casper was searching the students to find vaping devices.
False imprisonment is a felony that carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine, or both. If convicted of all six counts, Casper faces up to 21 years in prison.
An initial appearance for Casper, 51, of Coleman, has been scheduled for March 23, according to online court records.
In the release, Burke wrote there is no dispute from any party that the children involved were directed to enter the small room at the direction of Casper, who also directed the school nurse to accompany them to the room.
Burke also noted that Casper directed the children to remove their clothing once in the room, then stood in the doorway while the children were in the room.
Once the children removed their clothing, he said, any opportunity they had to escape would have subjected them to further shame and embarrassment.
“None of the children involved were given the opportunity to leave,” he said. “The only choice they were given was to have the search conducted by a police officer or Casper.
Neither were the children given an opportunity to contact their parents prior to being confined in the bathroom, Burke added.