MPS facing new lawsuit aimed at enforcing state mandated requirements to place school resource officers

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) -- a nonprofit conservative law firm based in Milwaukee -- has filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, in an attempt to hold the district accountable when it comes to reinstating school resource officers (SRO's).

2023 Wisconsin Act 12 is a bipartisan law that allowed the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to raise its sales tax -- but it also required Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to place at least 25 SRO's across the district.

The law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, but now more than nine months have passed and WILL told CBS 58 there still aren't any.

WILL filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, Oct. 8, on behalf of a MPS mother of six, whose youngest is currently enrolled in the district.

"They've had fight club there for a very long time and it's very dangerous," said plaintiff Charlene Abughrin. "It's very concerning as a parent that they do not have any safety resource officers at the school."

Lauren Greuel, associate council with WILL, said she's "hopeful that MPS is putting safety at the forefront of their priority list."

"However, their actions are not lining up with their words at this point," Greuel said. "This is a bipartisan issue, and at this point, it's not a matter of politics, it's a matter of safety for the students."

But in a statement to CBS 58, MPS argued that safety of their students and staff *is* a top priority.

"The district has a comprehensive safety program in place, which includes the employment of more than 230 safety officers in MPS schools. This program will continue until, and after, the SRO program is implemented in the district," part of the statement read.

The statement also added that they are ready to implement the SRO program "as soon as officers are available."

"As MPS does not employ, hire, or train City of Milwaukee police officers, the district is waiting for the city to provide resources for the program. The district recently reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department to initiate the process to select officers, but this request was denied," the statement said.

But Greuel said parties should be past the point of negotiating.

"Milwaukee Public Schools have been on notice for this requirement since at least July of 2023 when the law was passed. This isn't something that just popped up over this past summer," Greuel said. "Parents in Milwaukee deserve to be able to send their kids to school and to feel okay and feel safe about that. They shouldn't have to be waiting all day by the phone in case something bad happens at school."

WILL noted that data collected from the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) shows officers received calls from MPS more than 3,000 times in the last year alone.

"Every single time that the Milwaukee Public Schools calls the Milwaukee Police Department to get officers to respond to incidents happening at schools, they're having to spread their resources even thinner than they already are in Milwaukee," Greuel said. "This is about bringing the focus back on learning for the students in Milwaukee Public Schools, they deserve to feel safe at school."

MPS sent CBS 58 this statement which reads in full:

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) remains ready to implement a School Resource Officer (SRO) program as soon as officers are available. As MPS does not employ, hire, or train City of Milwaukee police officers, the district is waiting for the city to provide resources for the program. The district recently reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department to initiate the process to select officers, but this request was denied. 

MPS has taken Act 12 very seriously from the beginning, engaging with city partners to build a sustainable SRO program. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that facilitates implementation of an SRO program was agreed upon by all stakeholders in September. Since that time, the City Attorney’s Office has requested changes that MPS agreed to. The district is now waiting for the City Attorney’s Office to return the updated MOU. Even with minor adjustments, MPS remains ready to begin the program once officers are selected and trained. 

All parties continue to engage in financial negotiations related to this program, which is the result of a shared revenue agreement negotiated by the City of Milwaukee to receive approximately $200 million dollars in new revenue annually. The shared revenue agreement requires those funds to be directed to public safety, including law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical services. MPS is not a recipient of these funds.

MPS looks forward to working with MPD to begin the process to select and train officers who are committed to improving relationships among schools, law enforcement, youth, and the greater community.  

The safety of students and staff is a top priority for MPS. The district has a comprehensive safety program in place, which includes the employment of more than 230 safety officers in MPS schools. This program will continue until, and after, the SRO program is implemented in the district.

As far as the lawsuit specifically is concerned, MPS cannot comment on pending litigation.

Jeff Fleming of the City of Milwaukee sent CBS 58 this statement, which reads in full:

Milwaukee Public Schools misrepresents the status of the negotiation with the city.  Discussions took place as recently as this morning between attorneys for both sides. It is the position of both the Mayor and the Common Council President that the services MPS receives from the Milwaukee Police should be paid by the school district.  Insincere public statements from MPS do not advance good faith discussions.