Milwaukee, WI

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

Published

11 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

Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ Kansas City Royals

Published

3 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ Kansas City Royals

The Milwaukee Brewers, coming off a strong 5-1 homestand featuring a sweep of the White Sox and a series win over the Rays, will look to continue their momentum on the road against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals have also gotten off to a solid start, as they’re 3-2 entering Thursday’s series finale against the Twins.

The Brewers are still without a few key players, as Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio are both out for a few weeks with hand injuries. Quinn Priester (May), Rob Zastryzny (on rehab assignment), and Craig Yoho (mid-April) are also on the IL, while outfielders Steward Berroa and Akil Baddoo will likely be sent to Triple-A whenever they’re ready to return (Berroa in April, Baddoo in June).

Kansas City is without closer Carlos Estévez, who suffered a left foot contusion on a comebacker in the ninth inning last weekend. Infielder Michael Massey is also out with a calf strain, while pitchers Stephen Kolek, James McArthur, and Alec Marsh are also shelved (Marsh likely for the season).

Through two series, the Brewer offense is led by Brice Turang’s nine hits, while Jake Bauers and Gary Sánchez have each slugged a pair of homers to lead the team. Sánchez, despite playing in only three games (six at-bats) is hitting .500/.625/1.500 with those two homers and a pair of walks. Turang has added a homer and a team-best four doubles, and David Hamilton leads the team with four steals. Christian Yelich and William Contreras are the other key contributors, while Sal Frelick has gotten off to a slow start. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .279/.378/.448 (.826 OPS ranks third in MLB) with eight homers (tied for fifth), 45 runs scored (tied for first), and 15 steals (first).

Kyle Isbel leads Kansas City’s offense with two homers thus far, as he’s hitting .571 on the season with a team-best eight hits in 14 at-bats. Maikel Garcia is hitting .313/.429/.375 with five hits, while Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone have also added five hits apiece. Salvador Perez is still a threat offensively, and the Royals also feature former Brewer Isaac Collins, Jonathan India, Carter Jensen, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Lane Thomas. As a team, the Royals are hitting .244/.319/.400 (.719 OPS ranks ninth) with six homers (tied for 14th), 22 runs scored (tied for 22nd), and six steals (fifth).

Grant Anderson and Aaron Ashby lead the Brewer bullpen with four appearances each. Anderson hasn’t allowed a run and has struck out six over five frames, while Ashby has allowed one run (a solo homer) and struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings. DL Hall, former Royal Ángel Zerpa, Jared Koenig, and Abner Uribe have also held opponents scoreless, while Trevor Megill and Jake Woodford have the only other blemishes for this bullpen with one run allowed each. As a staff, the Brewers have a 2.83 team ERA (tied for fourth), including a 4.45 starter ERA (21st) and a 1.05 reliever ERA (second). They’ve struck out 76 batters (tied for third) over 54 innings.

Lucas Erceg is one of the few bright spots in Kansas City’s bullpen so far, with three scoreless outings spanning 2 2/3 innings with a pair of saves. Former Brewer Nick Mears, Matt Strahm, and Steven Cruz are the only other relievers to not allow a run, totaling just 4 1/3 innings between them. Bailey Falter (five runs in 3 1/3 innings), Alex Lange (two runs in 1 1/3 innings), Daniel Lynch (three runs, but only one earned, in two innings), and John Schreiber (one run in two innings) have all had a rough go of it early in the season, though Schreiber does have the team’s other save. As a staff, the Royals have a 4.36 team ERA (23rd), including a 1.98 starter ERA (third) and an 8.44 reliever ERA (28th). They’ve struck out 40 batters (27th) over 43 1/3 innings.

Friday, April 3 @ 6:45 p.m.: RHP Chad Patrick (0-0, 2.08 ERA, 5.02 FIP) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.34 FIP)

Patrick had a pretty meh start of the season, throwing 4 1/3 innings in Saturday night’s win over the White Sox. He allowed just one run but gave up five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Patrick made his first MLB start against the Royals almost exactly one year ago, on April 1, when he allowed no runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.

Wacha, 34, is in his 14th MLB season with his sixth MLB team. This is his third year with the Royals, who he has a 3.54 ERA and 3.61 FIP over 61 starts with. In his season debut last weekend, he went six scoreless frames against the Braves, allowing three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts on just 80 pitches. A familiar opponent for Milwaukee, Wacha has faced the Crew 17 times (16 starts), with a 4.16 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 84 1/3 innings. This is his first start against Milwaukee since 2023, when he was with the Padres.

Saturday, April 4 @ 3:10 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (0-0, 21.00 ERA, 18.17 FIP) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.22 FIP)

Sproat got off to a rough start in his Brewer debut on Sunday, as he allowed seven runs on six hits (including three homers) and four walks with three strikeouts over just three innings. Luckily, Milwaukee’s offense bailed him out to deliver a late comeback win. This will mark his first career start against Kansas City.

Lugo, 36, also had a scoreless start against the Braves last weekend, though he has a win to show for it. The 6’4” righty went 6 1/3 innings in that one, allowing five hits and no walks with three strikeouts. The AL Cy Young runner-up in 2024, Lugo has made 10 appearances (two starts) against Milwaukee, with a 2.31 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings, including 6 2/3 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) and five strikeouts while with the Royals in 2024.

Sunday, April 5 @ 1:10 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (0-0, 1.80 ERA, 3.17 FIP) vs. LHP Kris Bubic (1-0, 1.50 ERA, 5.50 FIP)

Unlike Sproat, Harrison had a solid Brewer debut on Monday night against the Rays, despite the fact that Milwaukee lost that one. He allowed just one run (a leadoff homer by Yandy Díaz) on four hits and a walk while striking out eight. His lone appearance against Kansas City came last year while with the Giants, a relief outing that spanned 1 1/3 innings with one run allowed and a pair of strikeouts.

Bubic, 28, is in his seventh MLB season, all with the Royals. An All-Star last year, he got off to a solid start once again this season, allowing one run on a pair of hits and three walks while striking out four against the Twins on Monday. He’s made three career starts against Milwaukee, allowing no earned runs (one earned) over 17 1/3 innings with 19 strikeouts, including six shutout frames with eight strikeouts in a win last season.

Friday, April 3: Exclusively on Apple TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, April 4: Brewers TV, nationally on FS1; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, April 5: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

This is a tough battle, with Milwaukee’s younger arms going up against three veterans for Kansas City. The Royals are a pretty evenly matched team on paper, so I’ll give them the edge at home and say K.C. wins two of three this weekend.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee weekend standoff began as family dispute, search warrant says

Published

15 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee weekend standoff began as family dispute, search warrant says

MILWAUKEE – An all-day standoff on Milwaukee’s north side Saturday, March 28, began as a family argument and ended without injuries, according to a search warrant.

What we know:

Officers responded to a home near 68th and Brentwood after a family member reported a 33-year-old man had threatened to kill relatives. Police used an armored vehicle while negotiating with the suspect, who remained inside the home overnight.

Police eventually used tear gas and pepper spray to arrest the suspect, per the search warrant.

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According to the search warrant, the dispute began after family members accused the suspect of “stealing some pots and pans from the kitchen.” A witness told police they saw the suspect walking around the house with a rifle and a handgun in his waistband.

Police say the suspect also called his brother and said, “We are all dying today,” according to the warrant.

Dig deeper:

Authorities said the suspect shot down a police drone during the standoff. Officers later found 10 guns inside the home. Police say the suspect is a convicted felon and should not have possessed firearms.

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FOX6 is not naming him because prosecutors have not formally charged him.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office said charges are pending.

The Source: FOX6 News obtained the search warrant utilized in this report.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews

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Milwaukee, WI

Weezer coming to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee for ‘Gathering’ tour

Published

1 day ago

April 1, 2026

Press Room

Weezer coming to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee for ‘Gathering’ tour

After kicking off a Summerfest show in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater in 2021 with Fall Out Boy and Green Day, Weezer is coming back to Milwaukee to headline Fiserv Forum.

Rivers Cuomo and company will be at the Bucks’ arena Oct. 7 for “The Gathering Tour” with The Shins and Silversun Pickups opening.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. April 3 at ticketmaster.com, with the presale underway.

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