DA declines to charge teacher accused of abusing student in Whitehorse Middle School incident

Girl's grandmother says she's 'outraged'

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Copyright 2019 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.



The Dane County district attorney is declining to charge a teacher accused of physically attacking a child at Whitehorse Middle School last month.

District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon that he wouldn’t charge the teacher in the incident on Feb. 13 involving an 11-year-old student at the school.

“In this case, I do not believe a crime has been committed,” Ozanne said. He said since the incident was reported, people have drawn their own conclusions about the case that are “simply wrong.”

#BREAKING: .@DaneDAOzanne says people are drawing conclusions that are “simply wrong” about an incident at Whitehorse Middle School. #news3now https://t.co/ZMYfqHph9X

— Jessica Arp (@news3jessica) March 5, 2019

Madison police Chief Mike Koval addressed the department’s investigation in a statement Tuesday.

“The MMSD employee involved in this case had been provided training by the District in

responding to student behavioral issues, and doing so was one of his primary job functions,” Koval wrote. “The origin of this incident stems from performance of that unique job dimension.”

The mother of the girl, Mikiea Price, said her daughter’s braids were ripped out by the teacher during the altercation in the hallway. Price spoke to reporters Tuesday morning, three hours before Ozanne revealed his decision.

The family of the 11-year-old girl was upset by Ozanne’s decision, telling the media in the hallway that they believe Ozanne had already made up his mind not to arrest the teacher from the beginning of the investigation.

“He was not going to arrest that white man, and I am outraged,” the girl’s grandmother, Laronda Bryant, said. “I want him to look me in the face and tell me why he’s not going to charge that man for beating my (grand)child.”

After the Dane County District Attorney said no criminal charges would be filed against the Whitehorse Middle School teacher, the family of the young girl who allegedly had her braids ripped out had a lot to say in the hallway to media pic.twitter.com/8fv2ENWAtG

— Jamie Perez (@JamiePerezTV) March 5, 2019

Price said she’s cooperated patiently with investigators but said the process has been “unfair from the beginning of the incident.”

“When I arrived to the school, they never called the police, they never called Child Protective Services, they didn’t even notify me,” she said.

Price’s daughter has since returned to school.

Koval and Ozanne said the police investigation focused on potential criminal violations and doesn’t address whether the teacher may have violated Madison Metropolitan School District’s workplace policies or procedures.

Madison schools spokeswoman Rachel Strauch-Nelson said the school district will use information from the police reports to “take appropriate action.” The teacher will remain on leave while the school completes its review and determines next steps.

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COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.