OCONTO FALLS (WI)
Wisconsin Public Radio - WPR [Madison WI]
March 12, 2026
By Corrinne Hess
2 staff members have been charged so far
A federal complaint filed Wednesday alleges Oconto Falls School District officials overlooked sexual abuse of students for 20 years.
The 60-page complaint, filed in the U.S. Eastern District, alleges a pattern of abuse that includes grooming and sexual conduct by multiple staff members involving more than a dozen minor students at Oconto Falls High School between 2005 and 2025.
The complaint was filed by three women, now adults, who graduated from Oconto Falls High School and said they were sexually abused by school staff when they were teenagers.
But Cass Casper, an attorney with Disparti Law Group, said there are at least 14 known victims who are willing to share their stories.
“These three brave young women have come forward with these claims because they want to solve an institutional problem,” Casper said. “They want to stop the culture where sex abusers, groomers and other school staff who think it’s OK to engage in sexualized conduct and grooming towards students that is allowed to flourish.”
The alleged victims said multiple teachers and administrators knew or witnessed their alleged perpetrators “in circumstances that should have prompted concern.”
“The sexual abuse and grooming of (the victims) did not occur in isolation, but rather within a pervasive culture at Oconto Falls School District in which teacher-student sexual abuse, grooming and misconduct was widespread, known to school officials through reports and/or direct observations, and tolerated without meaningful consequence,” the complaint states.
According to the complaint, one of the three victims, Amanda Watzka, described her relationship with a teacher in a school essay. Another teacher at the school was aware one of the other victims named in the suit shared a bed with an assistant volleyball coach.
WPR does not typically name the alleged victims of sexual assault, but is naming Watzka because she spoke to media at an event announcing the suit on Wednesday.
Three teachers are named in the Title IX lawsuit. Two of them, Brynn Larsen and Gayle Gander, have been charged for sex crimes involving students. Five other staff members are listed but not named.
Larsen pleaded no contest to third-degree sexual assault of a student in 2021 and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Gander was charged with sexual misconduct in January. The district said then that it had removed Gander from his position at the high school as soon as it learned of the allegations.
WPR is not naming the third teacher identified in the suit because he has not been charged with a crime according to state records.
In a statement to WPR, Superintendent Stuart Russ said plaintiffs threatened to sue the district and made substantial monetary demands in August 2025.
“Since August, the district has responded to plaintiffs and their attorney to recognize the wrongs by these two former employees, but also to help them understand that the district took prompt action when it was made aware of the misconduct,” Russ wrote.
Russ continued that allegations about other staff and other students have been investigated.
“The District is not able to comment further on the details of this lawsuit as it is an ongoing matter,” Russ wrote. “The District remains confident, however, that it will continue to act promptly to any allegations of misconduct.”
Watzka said she wants to see the teacher she alleges abused her face consequences.
“My personal abuser has not been held accountable at this point,” Watzka said. “So it’s been an ongoing cause of just hurt and pain.”
Last week, Gov. Tony Evers signed two Republican-sponsored bills related to grooming.
The first establishes a criminal definition of child grooming and imposes strict felony penalties on predators who target minors. The second requires all schools in Wisconsin to establish clear policies and training governing appropriate communication between staff and students.
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual assault, you can dial 1-800-656-HOPE or text HOPE to 64673. Resources are also available online.