Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Montessori seeks legal fees from victim’s family after settling discrimination claims

Published

10 months ago

May 9, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee Montessori seeks legal fees from victim’s family after settling discrimination claims

Milwaukee Montessori will pay families $240,000 and the government a $50,000 penalty to resolve claims of discriminating against students with disabilities.
The school is seeking roughly $440,000 in court costs from the family whose complaint sparked the federal investigation.
The private school previously settled with federal goverment over disability discrimination allegations in 2014.
Nonreligious private schools are required by ADA to make “reasonable modifications” to serve students with disabilities.

Milwaukee Montessori School agreed to pay nearly $300,000 and update its policies to resolve accusations of discriminating against students with disabilities.

On the same day the private school reached the agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, it filed motions seeking roughly $440,000 in court costs and attorney’s fees from the family whose complaint about their 7-year-old’s expulsion from the school sparked the federal investigation.

“This is outrageous on so many levels,” said Jeff Spitzer-Resnick, the family’s attorney. “Equally as bad, it makes us very concerned about whether they will comply with the agreement they signed with DOJ.”

The May 7 settlement requires the school to pay a $50,000 penalty to the U.S. Department of Justice, and $240,000 to affected families. It’s the second time in the past decade the U.S. Department of Justice has investigated and fined the private school, near Bluemound Road and 95th Street, for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Milwaukee Montessori said it is changing its policies on admissions and disciplinary matters to ensure it is in compliance with the ADA. Headmaster David Swanson recently took over the school, which enrolls about 420 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

“The DOJ is going to be working with with us for the next two years (and) collaborating to make sure we’re up to speed,” Swanson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m happy for that, to be honest with you, because there were needed changes.”

Milwaukee Montessori discriminated against 10 students with disabilities, DOJ reports

Milwaukee Montessori previously settled with the Justice Department in 2014 after the government said the school violated ADA by disenrolling a student with a neuromuscular disability. The school disputed it broke the law but settled, paying the family $50,000 and the Justice Department $5,000. It also agreed to change its policy.

But the Justice Department found Milwaukee Montessori’s discriminatory practices continued. Its latest investigation detailed acts of discrimination against 10 students with disabilities from 2017 through 2023, according to the settlement agreement.

Two of the 10 students identified in the agreement were denied admission after their parents disclosed their disabilities during the application process. The families of four more students withdrew their children after being denied reasonable accommodations or seeing their children sent home early or to the office or a separate classroom. Four additional students were expelled.

Milwaukee Montessori disputed the Justice Department’s findings but cooperated with the investigation, the settlement said. The agreement includes no admission of liability. It requires Milwaukee Montessori to hire a disability discrimination expert to create a remediation plan, write new admissions and nondiscrimination policies, train its employees on the policies and submit regular reports to the government on its compliance.

Milwaukee Montessori now seeking fees from family who sparked investigation

The family whose complaint led to the Justice Department investigation later sued Milwaukee Montessori, the family’s attorney, Spitzer-Resnick said. The 2022 lawsuit claimed the school denied their 7-year-old son reasonable accommodations and later expelled him because of behavioral problems. The student was later diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

A federal judge in April dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning it can be re-filed. The judge said the family had no standing to sue because they had planned to move overseas by the time they filed their complaint, making the child’s re-enrollment at the school unlikely. The judge said the family’s failure to be forthcoming about its move was “troubling” and the lawsuit could have been resolved sooner had they disclosed their intentions.

The lawsuit’s dismissal opened the door to the school seeking reimbursement for court costs and attorney’s fees. Spitzer-Resnick said he had been hashing out an agreement with the school attorney, with his clients agreeing not to appeal or disparage the school. In exchange, he said Milwaukee Montessori would not seek court costs.

Spitzer-Resnick said the school’s attorney, Joel Aziere, drafted the agreement and emailed it May 2, asking for a response by May 7. Spitzer-Resnick emailed back the morning of May 7, saying his clients agreed to the conditions and would sign a copy after the school signed the DOJ agreement. A few hours later, with the Justice Department agreement inked, the school filed motions seeking $440,000 from the family.

“It’s bad faith to send a settlement agreement over, ask the other side to agree to it and then when they say ‘yes,’ say ‘never mind,’” Spitzer-Resnick said. “I’ve been an attorney for 40 years, and I’ve never seen this happen.”

Aziere said in a statement that the school’s “possible agreement” did not cover the full $440,000 cost and it fell through after Spitzer-Resnick made additional conditions, which Spitzer-Resnick disputed. In court records, the school argued it was entitled to $440,000 to make up for the cost of defending itself because the family withheld its intent to move until later in the litigation process.

Are private schools required to serve students with disabilities?

Unlike public schools, private schools are not required to provide special education services for students under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act.

Religious private schools are also exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

But nonreligious private schools, like Milwaukee Montessori, are required by ADA to make “reasonable modifications” to serve students with disabilities, as long as those modifications don’t “fundamentally alter” the school.

“This settlement is an important reminder that the ADA’s obligations extend to private schools and their treatment of students with disabilities,” acting U.S. attorney Richard Frohling said in a statement.

Reporter Rory Linnane contributed to this article.

Kelly Meyerhofer covers higher education in Wisconsin. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.

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Milwaukee, WI

10 months after fatal hit-and-run that killed motorcyclist, Milwaukee man charged

Published

2 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

10 months after fatal hit-and-run that killed motorcyclist, Milwaukee man charged

A 23-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 44-year-old motorcyclist during the summer last year.

Jarvis L. Walker was charged March 7 with four counts: hit-and-run resulting in death, knowingly operating a vehicle without a valid license causing death, fleeing an officer and first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

The crash occurred June 7, 2025, at the intersection of North 76th Street and West Florist Avenue. Walker crashed into Wyman Kemble on his 2002 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and fled the scene, according to a criminal complaint.

Kemble suffered severe injuries in the crash and died at the scene.

Police said nearby security footage video shows Kemble was traveling northbound on 76th Street and had a green light when Walker, traveling southbound on 76th Street, crashed a rental car into Kemble while trying to make a left turn onto Florist Avenue.

Walker then exits the vehicle, grabs a backpack from the backseat and leaves the scene, the complaint said.

But a witness’ cellphone footage shows Walker return, yell something, and turn around and walk away before getting into another vehicle that just pulled over, according to the complaint.

The rental car came back to a person only identified in the complaint with the initials EW. The rental car customer told police that Walker had the vehicle during the time of the crash and Walker called him and told him that he had just been in a crash after a motorcycle ran a red light.

Ten months would pass before investigators zeroed in on Walker to arrest him.

On March 3, police had reason to believe that Walker was in the area of the 7200 block of West Marine Drive, the complaint said. Two undercover officers observed Walker get into an SUV, which exited a nearby parking lot and then immediately pulled over because the trunk was open, the complaint said.

Different officers in full uniform and an MPD squad moved in to try and arrest Walker, who was at the rear of the vehicle in the trunk, according to the complaint.

Walker then made his way back to his seat before one officer activated the squad lights and siren and exited the squad to say “Hey Jarvis, don’t do it” and “Jarvis get out of the car,” the complaint said.

But Walker fled the scene and led police on a nearly 10-mile pursuit in excess of 115 miles per hour, according to the complaint.

Police lost visual sight of Walker’s vehicle near North Teutonia Avenue and North Green Bay Avenue, but Glendale police observed the vehicle traveling southbound on West Green Bay Road and another short pursuit ensued before officers lost sight of Walker again, the complaint said.

Later that evening, Walker’s vehicle was observed unoccupied and running in the 4800 block of North 19th Place, according to the complaint. Police found Walker inside a nearby residence and arrested him.

Walker made his initial appearance in court on March 9, where bail was set at $25,000. If convicted on all counts, he faces decades behind bars.

Wyman Kemble remembered as mother’s rock

Leanne Kemble, Wyman Kemble’s mother, previously told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at the time of the crash that Wyman was her oldest child and her “rock.”

She said her son loved the motorcycle he was riding at the time of his death. She described him as one of the most “kind, caring and fun-loving people you’d ever meet.”

Leanne Kemble said her son graduated from Riverside High School, where he played on the football team, and was a graduate of Milwaukee Area Technical College. Volleyball was now his sport of choice, and he played year-round, she said.

“He was always helping people with their car repairs, or just doing odd jobs to help out our neighbors,” she said. “He was an all-around great person. Everybody loved him.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday

Published

14 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday

MILWAUKEE – MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius proposed cutting more than 263 non-classroom positions to help bridge a $46 million structural budget deficit.

A special meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is scheduled to take place on Monday night, March 9, to vote on this proposal.

Shifting resources

What we know:

The district said the reductions, which would take effect for the 2026–27 school year pending school board approval, would save about $30 million.

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“It is an extremely difficult day for us here in Milwaukee Public Schools, but in the end, I’m still hopeful. I’m hopeful for our students, I’m hopeful for all of the employees we have, and every single employee matters to us,” said Cassellius. “This is hard, and we’ll get through it.”

Officials said no classroom teacher positions are being cut to close the budget gap. That said, the district may need fewer teachers where there is lower enrollment. About 40 of the 263 positions being eliminated are already vacant, meaning that not all reductions will result in layoffs. Affected employees eligible for classroom-based roles will be encouraged to apply for available positions.

Cassellius stressed that MPS faces rising costs while receiving a $0 state increase in general aid for 2026-27 public school students. While the recent referendum has helped to support arts, physical education, mental health services, and career exploration, the superintendent indicated it does not make up for the lack of state-funded inflation increase

Proposed reductions

By the numbers:

The approximately 263 position reductions include the following, according to the school district:

MPS Central Services: About 116 positions from the offices of Academics; Communications; Family, Community, and Partnership; Finance; Human Resources; Operations; Schools office; and the Superintendent’s office
Non‑classroom school‑based roles: About 147 positions, including assistant principals, deans of students, and implementers.

The Source: Milwaukee Public Schools released information about its proposal.

Milwaukee Public SchoolsMilwaukeeNewsEducation

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Milwaukee, WI

Black joins Giannis, KPJ as out, How To Watch Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks Lineups, Injuries, Betting Lines & More

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Black joins Giannis, KPJ as out, How To Watch Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks Lineups, Injuries, Betting Lines & More

The Orlando Magic put together one of its strongest efforts of the season in Minnesota on Saturday, squashing one of the West’s best 119-92. They’ll look to continue a road win streak that began in L.A. with wins over the Clippers and Lakers.

Milwaukee also won on Saturday, pulling away from the Utah Jazz 113-99 to snap a two-game skid that coincided with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return from a 14-game absence due to a calf injury.

Antetokounmpo’s presence was necessary deep into the fourth quarter due to the game being tight, so that prevents him from participating in this one. Kevin Porter Jr. is also out.

The Magic are even with the Miami Heat atop the Southeast Division, although they hold a tie-braker since they have defeated Miami all four times they’ve played. The Magic’s upset of Minnesota has pushed them up to sixth place in the East.

Orlando is 14-15 on the road 20-19 against Eastern Conference foes. Milwaukee is 15-16 at home and 19-23 against Eastern Conference competition.

Vitals – How to Watch Magic at Bucks

Game date, time and location: Sunday, March 8, 8:10 p.m. EST, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Magic), FanDuel Sports Wisconsin (Bucks)

Radio: FM 96.9 The Game/AM 740 WYGM (Magic), WTMJ (Bucks)

Magic look to extend road win streak to four by ending Bucks’ run

The Orlando Magic (34-28) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (27-35) in the third and final matchup between these teams this season.

The Magic last won a season series from Milwaukee in 2011-12, but have gone 14-35 since, which includes an upset loss (116-108) in the final game prior to the break. Cam Thomas, having just been signed after getting his release from the Brooklyn Nets, scored 34 points to complement a Kevin Porter Jr. triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists), so the Bucks are still in position to win this year’s series 2-1 if it can pull an upset on Sunday night.

The Bucks have opened up a 77-57 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1989-90. Milwaukee won the first nine matchups.

Betting Lines (via DraftKings)

Spread: Magic -6.5 (-112), Bucks +6.5 (-115)

Moneyline: Magic -218, Bucks +180

Total: 216.5 (Over -112, Under -108)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

PROJECTED STARTERS

MAGIC

F Tristan da Silva

F Paolo Banchero

C Wendell Carter Jr.

G Jalen Suggs