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Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee parents sue MPS saying staff member locked students in ‘dungeon’ as punishment
Children at Thurston Woods School in Milwaukee were locked in a boiler room as a punishment, a group of parents say in a recently filed lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed Dec. 8 in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court’s civil division by three sets of parents. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors is among the defendants.
The parents claim in court papers several employees at the K4-8 elementary school on North 35th Street sent kids to the boiler room if they misbehaved.
Some of those staff members, as well as students, referred to the boiler room as “The Dungeon,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims a former male paraprofessional at the school locked three students in a boiler room multiple times during the 2022-’23 and 2023-’24 school years.
In the lawsuit, the parents said the “dungeon” presented a serious hazard to the children because of the potential exposure to “chemicals, cleaning agents, boilers, and other machinery.”
The paraprofessional resigned in November 2023 after he was investigated for violating several school district policies. At the time, he told district officials he placed the students in the room as a scare tactic, the lawsuit states.
Among the defendants is former assistant principal Dennis Daniels.
He pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge of attempted misconduct in public office after failing to alert police that an 11-year-old student brought a gun to school in February 2024.
He initially was charged with a felony, but brokered a deal with prosecutors to instead plead to an amended lesser charge.
“Milwaukee Public Schools is committed to maintaining safe and welcoming learning environments for all students and staff,” Stephen Davis, an MPS spokesman, said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, the district thoroughly investigated this matter in 2023 and took appropriate disciplinary action which included termination of employment.”
In a statement, Milwaukee attorney Drew DeVinney, who represents the parents, described the alleged behavior of school staff as “disbursing and egregious,” and that it appeared no one intervened to stop it.
He urged other families to come forward if they also were impacted.
“Concerningly, MPS did not report any of these instances of seclusion and restraint to the Department of Public Instruction, in violation of Wisconsin law.
“We hope that this lawsuit will serve as a vehicle to prevent further incidents and abuse, and to obtain justice for our clients.”
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@gannett.com.
PLOVER, Wis. (WBAY) – Police in the western part of the state are spreading the word after someone stole over $95,000 worth of Milwaukee-brand tools. Police are concerned that they’ll be sold online or sold outside the state.
Milwaukee-brand tools were stolen from a trailer at a solar farm in Plover.
Police say there were 130 items, including more than 40 half-inch impact guns, multiple wire cutters, grease guns, 80 batteries, and a couple of small generators.
Investigators are warning that buyers who purchase stolen items can have them seized and could lose their money or even face criminal charges if they knew the property was stolen.
Copyright 2026 WBAY. All rights reserved.
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MILWAUKEE – UPDATE: Milwaukee police said Ciara Crump, reported critically missing on Wednesday, has been found safe. The original missing person notice is available below.
The Milwaukee Police Department needs help to find 29-year-old Ciara Crump, a critically missing woman who was last seen near 80th and Marion just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17.
What they’re saying:
Police described Crump as 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 180 pounds with brown eyes and long brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants while carrying a black bag.
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What you can do:
Anyone with information on Crump’s whereabouts is asked to call Milwaukee Police District 7 at 414-935-7272.
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