THIENSVILLE (WI)
WTMJ-TV [Milwaukee WI]
January 5, 2026
By Alex Gaul
The principal of Christ Alone Lutheran School in Thiensville has been charged with failing to report child abuse and is now on administrative leave.
THIENSVILLE, Wis. — The principal of Christ Alone Lutheran School in Thiensville has been charged with failing to report child abuse and is now on administrative leave.
Mike Henning faces a misdemeanor count of failure to disclose child abuse in connection with inappropriate touching by a former teacher at the school. According to court documents, prosecutors allege Henning knew about the abuse for a year before it was reported to authorities.
The case involves former teacher Daniel Rick, who is accused of inappropriately touching students on the buttocks, kissing them on the forehead and pulling a boy’s pants down. Rick was charged in January 2025 and is currently awaiting trial.
Prosecutors allege in their charging documents that Henning was first made aware of the abuse in December 2023. Despite his status as a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect, prosecutors say he did not disclose the information to proper authorities.
The complaint states Henning once referred to parent complaints against Rick as a “he said, she said” situation and downplayed the actions as “dumb mistakes.”
Months later, Henning did ask for Rick’s resignation after the school discovered Rick had asked children not to tell their parents about the abuse. Another mandated reporter then brought the case to authorities, according to prosecutors.
TMJ4 attempted to reach Henning by phone Monday, but he did not answer or respond.
In a statement sent to the community, the school reaffirmed the building’s safety and confirmed Henning is on administrative leave.
“The administrative team is working closely with district leadership to ensure continuity and support for our staff and students,” the statement read in part.
Multiple parents TMJ4 spoke with at school dismissal Monday said they didn’t know much about the ongoing situation.
Henning has his first court appearance on January 20, and Rick is currently scheduled for trial in February.
Dear families of Christ Alone Lutheran School,
We are committed to keeping you informed about matters affecting our school community.
It has come to our attention that this past Friday, January 2, our school principal, Mike Henning, was named as a defendant in a misdemeanor court case filed by the State of Wisconsin, alleging a 2023 instance of a failure to report. Mr. Henning is on administrative leave until further notice. At this time, we are limited in any further information we can share due to privacy and legal considerations.
Please be assured that our school remains focused on providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. The administrative team is working closely with district leadership to ensure continuity and support for our staff and students. We will provide further updates as we are able.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate this situation together.
Sincerely,
Pastor Pat Brown Geoffrey Steinbrenner
Christ Alone Ev. Lutheran Church Chair, Christ Alone Lutheran School Boar
Statement sent to TMJ4 News and Christ Alone Lutheran School community
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