A shocking incident at Bay View High School has thrust Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) into the spotlight once again, exposing a system in crisis. A recent lawsuit alleges that a student with intellectual disabilities was assaulted while a staff member filmed the attack and laughed—then showed the video to others, including a student, and never reported it. 

The incident, which occurred in April 2024, ended with the student suffering a fractured jaw, requiring surgery and ongoing medical care. The employee resigned before a disciplinary hearing and is not facing criminal charges. The student’s mother is suing MPS and two employees, demanding accountability.

This case is not an isolated failure. According to data obtained by the Badger Institute, MPS high schools triggered over 1,300 police calls in the 2021-2022 school year alone, including 100 battery reports and nearly 40 incidents involving firearms. The district eliminated school resource officers (SROs) in 2016, and despite widespread public support for reinstating them, MPS leaders have resisted.

That resistance may now come to an end.

In a signficiant ruling, Milwaukee County Judge David Borowski ordered MPS and the City of Milwaukee to place SROs in MPS schools within 10 days—citing their blatant defiance of Wisconsin Act 12, which mandated 25 SROs in MPS schools by January 2024. The court warned of contempt charges if they fail to comply.

“MPS clearly thinks they are above the law,” Borowski said, blasting both the district and city for “flaunting” state law and court authority. The ruling follows legal action by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) on behalf of a parent whose children were repeatedly harmed due to the absence of school officers.

With the judge ordering both parties to split the $1.6 million cost, MPS has now pledged to implement the SRO program “as soon as officers are made available.”

After years of policy failure and delayed action, the courts have stepped in where leadership has not. Whether MPS and city officials will finally prioritize student safety remains to be seen.