The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's investigation into former Oconomowoc High School teacher Tom Klubertanz has ended without a ruling.

According to the DPI, Klubertanz voluntarily surrendered his teaching license on July 25. Klubertanz's license was under investigation since February 2018 after the Oconomowoc Area School District investigated Klubertanz on accusations of having a romantic relationship with a former student more than a decade ago.

Klubertanz, 50, resigned from his position as theater and speech teacher and theater director on Jan. 26, 2018. The school district then suspended its more than two-month probe into accusations brought by the former student.

Klubertanz, the 2001 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, declined to comment on the 22-page summary of the investigation conducted by the Oconomowoc Area School District and denied the allegations in an interview with school district officials during the investigation.

The district's investigation began in November 2017 after a woman, whose name was redacted from the documents, called an unnamed OHS guidance counselor and said she had been involved years earlier in an inappropriate relationship with Klubertanz during her senior year.

Klubertanz was interviewed by the school district on Dec. 14, 2017, and denied ever having been in an intimate or physical relationship with any current or former student.

"Unequivocally not — it’s disgusting to think so," Klubertanz said during his interview.

In February 2018, the district sent a summary of its investigation into Klubertanz to the DPI and asked the department to review his license. Under state law, an administrator must report to the state if an investigation is done into any person employed by an educational agency and licensed by the state.

There were never any investigations or complaints made against Klubertanz with the sheriff's departments in Dodge, Jefferson and Waukesha counties. Local police departments in and around the district never investigated the former teacher, either.

State law requires a school employee to report to local law enforcement only if the person believes there is a serious and imminent threat to the health and safety of a student.

'Triggered' by #metoo movement

The woman, who was a student at OHS when Klubertanz started in the district in fall 2006 as a new teacher and theater director, told investigators she would sneak out of her house and Klubertanz would pick her up in his car. She said they would hold hands and also spoke frequently on the phone and kissed in his classroom.

It was unclear from the documents whether she was a minor at the time, but district policy prohibits staff members from "engaging in intimate, sexual or otherwise inappropriate social relationships with students," regardless if it is consensual.

The woman told the counselor she was coming forward because she was "triggered by (the #metoo movement)," according to the documents.

Other allegations by the woman said Klubertanz bought her gifts, told her he was in love with her, that she "looked hot" and said their relationship was "our little secret," according to the documents. The woman also said that in 2012, which was after she graduated from OHS, Klubertanz admitted to her he had crossed the line and apologized for their relationship.

Klubertanz, who did not hire an attorney during the probe, told investigators the woman had "created a fantasy and a delusional story in her head," according to documents.

A former Oconomowoc student who knew the woman spoke to then-Human Resources Director Pam Casey and then-Superintendent Pat Neudecker in February 2013 about an alleged inappropriate relationship between the woman and Klubertanz, according to documents.

According to the investigation summary, "Pam said she believes nothing further was done in response to (the former student’s) concerns because there was nothing significant showing violations by Tom, nothing indicating it was a big deal or that Tom was inappropriate, and (the woman) did not come forward at that time."

Resignation agreement

According to Klubertanz’s resignation agreement, which was obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel through an open records request, Klubertanz was paid $59,606.16 in severance through Aug. 31, 2018.

The resignation agreement included nondisclosure and nondisparagement clauses between Klubertanz and the Oconomowoc Area School District. Klubertanz also agreed not to be employed or re-employed by the district at any point in the future.

Contact Evan Frank at (262) 361-9138 or evan.frank@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP.