The News: School Resource Officers (“SROs”) were placed in Milwaukee Public Schools (“MPS”) today because of a successful lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) on behalf of an MPS parent, Charlene Abughrin. In February, Judge David Borowski held the City of Milwaukee (the “City”) in contempt of court for not complying with state law and “ignoring” his own orders to bring SROs into MPS.
The Quotes: WILL Associate Counsel, Lauren Greuel, stated, “The message from today is simple: frustrated parents, like Charlene, are fighting back and standing up for what’s right. SROs will provide much-needed safety resources to schools and ensure MPS moves closer to a safer, more productive learning environment.”
Milwaukee parent and WILL client, Charlene Abughrin, stated, “I am so grateful to see SROs back in MPS and for Milwaukee to take this small step towards bringing the focus back on learning, rather than letting students fear for their safety. This victory would not have been possible without the perseverance of the incredible team at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.”
What Has Transpired? The City provided the judge with evidence showing they have done everything the Court ordered and were now in compliance with state law. This included telling the Court which officers had been trained, and which schools they would be placed in. As a result, the Court agreed to lift its contempt finding against the City.
Additional background: 2023 Wisconsin Act 12 gave both the City and County of Milwaukee the option of a sales tax increase, but it also did more. As part of the compromise to enact Act 12, state law was amended to require that MPS “shall ensure that no fewer than 25 school resource officers are present at schools within the district during normal school hours,” and that the school resource officers are available during certain additional time periods and events. The law required the SROs be in place no later than January 1, 2024. That law had been ignored for months until WILL, on behalf of Ms. Abughrin, brought this lawsuit.
