DANIEL BICE

Bice: Scott Walker's allies lob new accusation against Tony Evers over teacher misconduct

Daniel Bice

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Republicans are doubling down on their criticism of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Evers for not being more aggressive in stripping problem teachers of their licenses.

This time, the state GOP is going after the state schools superintendent over a Green Bay middle school teacher named Steven Crowley, who was involved in a physical altercation with a student in March 2012.

Relying on school district records, Gov. Scott Walker's allies say that Crowley, then an English-as-a second-language teacher at Franklin Middle School, engaged in an "unprovoked physical altercation" with a student who was in a hallway while classes were in session.

Crowley was fired five months later for his actions. It was the second time Crowley was involved in such an incident with a female student. He had been reprimanded five years earlier.

Brown County Human Services officials investigated the matter and issued a “substantiated finding of physical abuse to a child" — though that was later reversed.

"The fact that Tony Evers wouldn't revoke the license of a teacher who physically harmed a terrified student as she begged for help is further proof that he can't be trusted to do the right thing," said Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the state Republican Party.

But an official with the state Department of Public Instruction says the agency conducted its own investigation into the matter and found the student "pushed, bit and kicked" Crowley, who then held her up against some lockers until other school staffers arrived.

Tom McCarthy, spokesman for DPI, said Crowley could have handled the situation better by de-escalating the scuffle. But McCarthy said the state agency felt the matter was "an employment, not licensing, matter."

"Once again, the only strategy Walker and his allies have is to launch false political attacks," said Britt Cudaback, deputy communications director for Evers' campaign.

Walker and his allies have been running a series of graphic ads criticizing Evers for not tossing the license of a teacher who viewed pornographic images at school. Evers has contended state law at the time didn't allow him to take the teacher's license because students hadn't seen the material.

Another ad went after Evers for failing to revoke the license of a Beloit Turner High School teacher accused of sending sexually provocative Snapchat notes to a student. DPI officials said it was difficult to pursue the case because the teacher deleted her Snapchat account and the student refused to testify.

A poll by the Marquette University Law School this week found Evers had a five-point lead over the second-term Republican governor.

In the Crowley case, Republicans have released a summary of the incident drafted by the school district's assistant superintendent for human resources, who is not named. The four-page report written in March 2012 was highly critical of the teacher.

It quoted Crowley saying he was simply trying to escort the student to the office but ended up protecting himself from an "out-of-control student."

"The review of the video sheds a different perspective to the altercation," says the report. The assistant superintendent said the incident was not provoked by the student. Crowley ends up pushing the student into a set of lockers in a display of "excessive force," according to the report.

"Crowley was physically dominant over this student and imposed himself upon her without provocation," the report concludes. The board fired Crowley in August 2012.

But McCarthy said the Green Bay school district's due-process review of the matter found that the student was the one to instigate the matter.

McCarthy said his agency's findings reached a similar conclusion. In short, he said, the student lashed out at Crowley, who then restrained her against the lockers.

The witness testimony was inconsistent, so the state education agency relied primarily on the video of the incident, McCarthy said. Crowley's license expired in 2016.

"All of this information was reported to both law enforcement and Child Protective Services," McCarthy said. "No charges were brought. (Child Protective Services) originally substantiated a finding of child abuse against Crowley, but then reversed its finding."

Both sides agree that Crowley was reprimanded in 2007 for a similar skirmish with a female student in which he was found to have escalated the situation. He also was questioned on several occasions about sexually harassing female teachers.

Zimmerman said the facts show Evers erred by not stripping Crowley of his teaching license.

"Time and again when given the opportunity to protect students, Evers displays weak and feckless leadership — leaning on bureaucratic excuses or caving to the unions instead of doing what is right," Zimmerman said.

Of course, Evers' people see the situation differently.

"The people of Wisconsin know Tony has always put the safety of our kids first, but Walker will run this same desperate playbook till November," Cudaback said.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.