Sun Prairie schools suspended girls who reported a dean; HR chief police flagged kept job
An independent report released by the Sun Prairie Area School District on January 6, 2026 found that school and district officials failed to recognize their Title IX duties, leading to insufficient investigations of rumors about Sun Prairie West dean Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier, who was later charged with child pornography and child exploitation. Students who first raised concerns, starting in November 2024, were suspended for spreading rumors. Principal Jennifer Ploeger and Title IX coordinator Bridget Kotarak left the district; Ploeger faces misdemeanor failure-to-report charges. Police also referred failure-to-report charges for Human Resources Director Chris Sadler, who led the April 2025 inquiry, but the district attorney has not charged him, and the district said he would keep his job. The state Department of Public Instruction is reviewing Sadler's and Ploeger's educator licenses.
In the wake of the investigation, the district said on its website that several staff members who had been on leave would return to work: Human Resources Director Chris Sadler, Prairie Phoenix Academy Principal Nehemirah Barrett,
The investigative report concludes that officials at both the school and district levels failed to recognize Title IX obligations to address sexual harassment, which led to insufficient investigations into allegations.
Warych said police also referred failure to report charges to the Dane County District Attorney's office for Chris Sadler, the district's director of human resources. At this time, Sadler is not being charged, Warych said.
Released the report publicly to rebuild trust and said several staff on leave, including Sadler, would return to work.
Not yet contacted for this story.
Her attorney said the investigation did not find Ploeger did anything illegal.
No outcome recorded yet.