Bill Banning All Forms of Strip Searching in Wisconsin Schools Illegal Heads to Governor's Desk

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024 -- 11:00 AM

(Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette) A bill that would make all forms of strip searching illegal in Wisconsin schools is headed to the governor's desk.

Legislators in the state Assembly unanimously voted to pass the bill Thursday afternoon and will send it to Gov. Tony Evers for his veto or approval. The bill was introduced by three Oconto and Green Bay-area lawmakers after former Suring School District superintendent Kelly Casper told six female students to remove clothing down to their underwear during a search for vaping devices in January 2022.

Casper's actions caused a large outcry in the small Suring community and statewide. The current state statute says any official, employee or agent of a school district who conducts a strip search is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

Casper was never charged for strip searching the girls because the search didn't qualify as one under current law, which states that the student's private parts must have been exposed. Casper's actions prompted outcry in the small community. She resigned from the school district at the end of June 2022.

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