MADISON – State Representative Amanda Nedweski (R–Pleasant Prairie) issued the following statement in response to the Assembly’s passage of Senate Bill 673, legislation she authored to require schools to establish clear standards for appropriate communication between staff and students and to provide annual training on grooming behaviors and professional boundary violations:
“Parents entrust our schools with their children every single day, but sadly, there are a growing number of adults who betray that trust and use their positions to prey on vulnerable kids,” Nedweski said. “SB 673 ensures that schools are proactive in protecting children from inappropriate boundary violations and communications. By establishing clear expectations and requiring annual training, we can better protect students while also safeguarding the vast majority of educators who serve with integrity and professionalism.”
SB 673 builds on the momentum of Nedweski’s bipartisan legislation creating a criminal definition of grooming in Wisconsin. The bill comes in response to a growing number of cases across the state involving inappropriate communications between school staff and students, often facilitated through text messaging and social media platforms.
“Advances in technology have dramatically changed how school employees communicate with students, giving educators more direct access to our kids than ever before,” Nedweski added. “While the vast majority of educators use these tools responsibly, we are seeing an increasing number of cases in which school staff communicate with students outside of school hours via text message or social media—often without a parent’s knowledge. Too often, these professional boundary violations escalate and can lead to grooming or other forms of sexual misconduct.”
SB 673 preserves local control by allowing schools to tailor their policies and training programs to meet the unique needs of their communities. Schools may utilize existing training modules provided free of charge by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) or develop their own materials that satisfy the bill’s requirements. The legislation passed on a 92-7 vote and now heads to Governor Evers’s desk.
Nedweski also responded to comments from a handful of Democrat lawmakers who opposed the bill in committee, arguing that the term “grooming” constitutes hate speech.
“Contrary to the claims made during the committee debate, this legislation is not an attack on teachers or any individual based on sexual orientation,” Nedweski said. “To oppose legislation that protects kids from predatory behavior because they believe the term ‘grooming’ is hate speech is indefensible.”
“Grooming is not an identity—it is a documented tactic used by predators to manipulate and exploit children,” she continued. “Refusing to acknowledge that reality does nothing to keep kids safe. I look forward to a day in the very near future where grooming a child for sexual activity is treated as the serious crime that most serious adults realize it to be.”
Rep. Nedweski represents the 32nd Assembly District, which includes the Town and Village of Bloomfield, Village of Bristol, Town of Brighton, Village of Genoa City, portions of Kenosha and Lake Geneva, Village of Paddock Lake, Town of Paris, Village of Pleasant Prairie, Town of Randall, Village of Salem Lakes, Village of Twin Lakes, and the Town of Wheatland.
