Oconto County Sheriff's Office reopens investigation into strip searches at Suring High School after a request from the district attorney
Jake Prinsen Benita Mathew
SURING – The Oconto County District Attorney's Office on Friday asked the Oconto County Sheriff's Office to reopen its investigation of administrators who were accused of strip searching students to their underwear for vaping devices in January.
The sheriff's office on Monday denied a reporter's open records request for documents related to the investigation because it "could compromise the effectiveness of the prosecution of the case."
Sheriff's office administrative assistant Rita Krause said Monday the sheriff's office has requested a meeting with the district attorney's office to discuss the reason why it was reopening the case.
"We're waiting to hear back from them," she said. " We were all ready to release everything, and then we were requested on Friday to reopen it."
Law enforcement agencies typically do not disclose records to the media if a case in still under investigation.
District Attorney Edward D. Burke Jr. disputed the sheriff's office account, saying he discussed the case with the sheriff Friday and lead investigator, but he wants to discuss different avenues in a Tuesday meeting with parents and the sheriff's office over Zoom. He said they also have a meeting with parents scheduled for March 2.
Burke said he needs to meet with parents before anything moves forward.
"I think the charging decision as far as what I had was pretty spot on because it didn't fit the statutory criteria of strip search," Burke said. "You can call it a strip search just based upon the facts, common sense would say that but the law and common sense are sometimes very far apart."
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Six female students were asked by Suring School District Superintendent Kelly Casper to strip to their underwear Jan. 17 and 18 in front of each other and were then searched for vape cartridges by Casper and a school nurse, both women, according to a statement issued by Burke's office.
Several students' parents have hired Madison-based attorney Jeff Olson, saying school officials showed a complete disregard for the girls and violated their rights.
The district attorney's office declined to press charges Feb. 15 after it received a referral from the sheriff's office Feb. 14.
Casper searched the girls and asked one student to pull her bra away from her body, but her breasts were not exposed, according to the district attorney.
One student said she was asked to pull up her bra and her breasts were exposed, but the district attorney said her account was different from Casper and the nurse's version of what happened, along with other students.
Two students searched had to say they weren't wearing underwear and were "allowed to leave the leggings they were wearing on." Casper then patted down the girls on the outside of their legs, according to the district attorney.
Burke said in the statement that the searches did not meet the definition of strip searches under state statute because the students' private parts were not exposed.
State statute says any official, employee or agent of a school district who conducts a strip search is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. The Suring School District also has a policy that states "under no circumstances shall a school official ever conduct a strip search of a student."
Suring High School's enrollment is roughly 120 in a district of less than 400 total students. It's located in Suring, a rural town in Oconto County with fewer than 1,000 residents.
Contact Jake Prinsen at jprinsen@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PrinsenJake.