Latest example of Evers failing to stand up and protect students
[Madison, WI] — Breaking news from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this morning details how Tony Evers failed to revoke the license of a teacher who physically abused a student while she begged for help. The district reviewed video evidence and determined that the teacher used “excessive force.” Yet even that wasn’t enough for Evers to act.
“The fact that Tony Evers wouldn’t revoke the license of a teacher who physically harmed a terrified student as she begged for help is further proof that he can’t be trusted to do the right thing,” said Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “Time and again when given the opportunity to protect students, Evers displays weak and feckless leadership – leaning on bureaucratic excuses or caving to the unions instead of doing what is right. It’s simple: Tony Evers can’t be trusted to stand up for Wisconsin families.”
Read the full story here or find excerpts below:
Scott Walker’s allies lob new accusation against Tony Evers over teacher conduct
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Daniel Bice
September 20, 2018
Republicans are doubling down on their criticism of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Evers for not being more aggressive in stripping problem teachers of their licenses.
This time, the state GOP is going after the state schools superintendent over a Green Bay middle school teacher named Steven Crowley, who was involved in a physical altercation with a student in 2012.
Relying on the findings of one of the district’s assistant superintendents, Gov. Scott Walker’s allies say that Crowley, then an English-as-a second-language teacher at Franklin Middle School, engaged in an “unprovoked physical altercation” with a student who was in a hallway while classes were in session.
“The fact that Tony Evers wouldn’t revoke the license of a teacher who physically harmed a terrified student as she begged for help is further proof that he can’t be trusted to do the right thing,” said Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the state Republican Party.
…
In the Crowley case, Republicans have released a summary of the incident drafted by the school district’s assistant superintendent for human resources, who is not named. The four-page report written in March 2012 was highly critical of the teacher.
It quoted Crowley saying he was simply trying to escort the student to the office but ended up protecting himself from an “out-of-control student.”
“The review of the video sheds a different perspective to the altercation,” says the report. The assistant superintendent said the incident was not provoked by the student. Crowley ends up pushing the student into a set of lockers in a display of “excessive force,” according to the report.
“Crowley was physically dominant over this student and imposed himself upon her without provocation,” the report concludes.
…
Both sides agree that Crowley was reprimanded in 2007 for a similar skirmish with a female student in which he was found to have escalated the situation. He also was once questioned about sexually harassing a female teacher.
Zimmerman said the facts show Evers erred by not stripping Crowley of his teaching license.
“Time and again when given the opportunity to protect students, Evers displays weak and feckless leadership — leaning on bureaucratic excuses or caving to the unions instead of doing what is right,” Zimmerman said.
Read more here.
