A western Wisconsin teacher has been granted a restraining order against the school district’s superintendent.
The teacher at St. Croix Central High School in Hammond wrote in her petition to the court that Superintendent Tim Widiker “initiated and engaged in bullying and harassing activities at work for the past three years.”
It’s the second restraining order Widiker’s currently facing.
The district’s former human resources director was granted one earlier this month one day after resigning from her position.
In her resignation letter, she says she was “wrongly accused of misusing leave time,” then experienced “harassment, coercion, defamation, slander, retaliation” by the district and Widiker.
She claims Widiker falsely told staff she’d been stealing money for years.
In a district of about 1,800 students, a mother told WCCO the restraining orders are concerning to her and many other parents.
“It’s scary to know that someone like that is in charge of our schools and our teachers, and it could dwindle all the way down and affect our students,” said Paige Ward. “I’d like to see him at least on administrative leave.”
The school board said in a statement, “The board has investigated the [former HR director’s] complaint against the District Superintendent and determined no immediate action related to the District Superintendent was appropriate.”
The teacher’s complaint has been referred to an independent investigator, according to the board, and “no immediate action [against Widiker] was deemed warranted given the specifics alleged.”
Widiker has moved to dismiss one of the restraining orders.
A hearing is scheduled on both restraining orders next month.
