For more than 35 years, students at Oconto Falls High School in Wisconsin were sexually groomed and assaulted by their teachers — and the adults in charge knew.

That's the allegation at the center of a federal lawsuit filed in March 2026. Seven plaintiffs and 19 sworn affidavits describe a school district where abuse was reported, documented, and ignored — time and again. According to the complaint, one student who reported a classmate's assault was told the school could do nothing and that she "had more healing to do." A coach found sharing a bed with a student received a conversation about "boundaries." Two coaches who witnessed a colleague assaulting a student stayed quiet rather than report it. Nine staff members named in the complaint have still never been criminally charged.

Now, instead of reckoning with that history, the Oconto Falls Board of Education has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit entirely — arguing the district cannot be held financially liable for the actions of "reprehensible teachers." But Wisconsin law requires every school employee to report suspected abuse. When officials ignore that duty year after year, the institution is not an innocent bystander.

"I've never seen facts like this, ever, in my practice," said plaintiff attorney Cass Casper. "The scope of this suit, and the number of witnesses who have come forward, reflects a severe problem in how the district responds to these situations."

The Oconto Falls School Board must withdraw its motion to dismiss and allow survivors their day in court. State authorities should also investigate the nine staff members who remain uncharged despite credible allegations spanning decades.

Sign this petition to demand the Oconto Falls School Board stop burying this case — and let survivors finally be heard.