Questioning the legal logic used to suspend County Administrator Brad Karger after his participation in a political rally, one county supervisor who voted in favor of the suspension is asking her fellow board members to reconsider the decision.

“It feels like he wasn't given that direction from the board,” Supervisor Katie Rosenberg said. “We didn't ever tell him this was an issue.”

Karger’s 30 day suspension without pay follows supervisors acting on law enforcement complaints about the role Karger played during a march supporters say was about making sure 16-year-old Hmong American Dylan Yang receives a fair sentence.

"Some members of the County Board have called this a “Hmong March,” petition organizers wrote in a July 22 statement. "Let us be clear: the march was called, “Save our Children Peace March.” The march was meant to promote peace, the safety of all children, reflection, and healing in the entire community. Attempts to marginalize specific groups will not help the people of Wausau move forward together."

Yang faces up to 60 years in prison on September 6 for first-degree reckless homicide in the February 2015 stabbing death of 13-year-old Isaiah Powell.

“I've never said or made broad statements about justice,” Karger said during a June 20 news conference. “He was 15-years-old when he committed a terrible crime and he deserves to be punished. But that punishment should be coupled with rehabilitation.”

Prosecutors say the stabbing happened as rival gang members fought. That, they say, carried over from a Facebook fight. However, the gang claims have remained a point of contention for both Yang and Powell’s loved ones, who adamantly deny they were gang members.

Following the online fight, Powell took a group of friends and a BB gun to Yang’s house where it turned violent. Yang’s supporters say the teen was reacting that night to Powell bullying him. However, Powell’s family insistS he was not a bully.

“To just put him in the adult prison system and not provide him adequate opportunity to restore his life and have another chance at life to me seems to be very unfair to him,” Karger said.

Rosenberg said many board members felt Karger’s appearance made it appear as through a county representative was taking an official anti-law enforcement, racist position.

However, the supervisor said the legal reasoning used to suspend Karger, found in Wisconsin state statute 59.18 which governs county administrators, only mentions terminations, not suspensions.

“If the county administrator’s performance is unsatisfactory then that's grounds for termination,” Rosenberg recalled of the law. “Now, we didn't terminate. We suspended. So it's vague about that.”

The supervisor also said without any mention of county administrators participating in political rallies found in statute or contract, she feels Karger’s suspension came without merit.

“I guess people will say it's assumed,” Rosenberg said. “But at least in our position our role as county board is to offer that guidance and feedback. And I think that probably all of this, we should've been communicating about this all along.”

Without that direction clearly stated in any policy, Rosenberg feels board members need to reconsider their decision.

Board Chair Kurt Gibbs, who was not available for comment, told Rosenberg that would take a majority of the 38 board members making that request.

Rosenberg, however, wants to see a vote soon, since the next board meeting will happen about the time the suspension will be close to ending.

She would also like to see employee code updated to explicitly say what events workers are allowed to attend.