MIDDLETON (WKOW) — A police report obtained by 27 News provides new insight into an investigation into harassment allegations within the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District's high school football program.
Earlier this week, the Middleton Police Department closed its investigation without making any arrests. The case was sent to the Dane County District Attorney for review.
27 News obtained the 22-page police report, which sheds new light on what exactly police were investigating.
According to the report, a member of the football team came forward as a witness on January 10 to report a "possible sexual assault" that took place in one of the high school's locker room showers. The witness identified four other teammates as potential suspects.
What police learned from the alleged victim
The next day, the report states the School Resource Officer Kim Wood and Dean Jordan Kula spoke with the student who was identified as the victim by the witness.
The victim, also a member of the football team, told police about several incidents that "made him feel uncomfortable." The report describes some of these incidents as sexual gestures and comments made by other players in the locker room showers and at school, huddling around him in the shower and sending sexually explicit messages in a group chat.
He also told police some of his teammates would touch themselves while completely nude in close proximity to him to make him feel uncomfortable.
In the report, the victim also describes being "hit so hard on the helmet" before football games that it "jars his neck and causes him to feel nauseous and get a headache."
In this initial interview, the report states the victim identified two other teammates as committing these actions. He told police he thought they were doing this "to make him feel uncomfortable" and thought the victim was "vulnerable" or "stupid."
The victim was interviewed a second time by Safe Harbor, where he explained other instances of bullying. The report states these include several instances where someone tried to pull down his underwear, an instance where he was urinated on in the showers and instances where his teammates called him "stupid" or told him he "isn't good" at football and won't play in a game.
In both interviews, the victim told police he had asked people to stop taking sexual and physical actions against him, but they didn't.
What police learned from the witness
When police interviewed the witness who reported the behaviors of his teammates to the school, they learned this wasn't the first time he came forward.
The report says the witness "had conversations between him and the coaches in which he reported this incident over the past summer." The report states the victim also spoke to coaches.
In the report, the witness expresses that he doesn't feel "heard" because he "reported bullying and these incidents to 'the school a summer ago, to the football coaches, and nothing happened.'"
The report contains a copy of messages sent to two football coaches, Jason Pertzborn and Brad Rogeberg, in July 2022. They show the witness bringing the alleged bullying to the attention of the coaches, and the coaches responding by saying they would deal with it.
In a second interview, the witness talked more on the "gross things" going on within the locker room. The report states players would record others in the bathroom, rip towels off, corner people and grab at people.
The witness also said team members would send harassing or derogatory messages, sometimes anonymously to the victim.
The report states the witness came forward again because he had gotten concerning messages from the victim and was concerned the victim "may hurt someone or himself."
What police learned while interviewing team members
Police interviewed several other members of the football team. Two were deemed as suspects by the victim and witness. The others were deemed by administrative staff as having the potential to provide "unbiased, uninfluenced information."
One of the players identified by administrative staff told police he hadn't seen anything inappropriate, but said a coach told the team to "lay off their posts that were making fun of another teammate." The player identified this teammate as the victim.
The other player identified by administrative staff said the "harassment or bullying" was "equally distributed."
One of the players identified as a suspect corroborated that team members had done things that could be considered "inappropriate or offensive."
But, he denied cornering anyone in the showers or touching anyone. He did say he had touched himself in a "joking manner" and had urinated on one of his friends' legs. He said he had been urinated on, as well.
The report says he admitted to the player group chat containing nudity, but he hadn't seen "harassing or bullying messages" or any threatening messages.
Another player identified as a suspect admitted that he had "messed with" the victim before — explaining that he had called him names. He also explained he saw players spank and touch the victim's nipples while in the showers.
The boy went on to say "they had done the same things to other kids, but the other kids they are close to so they do not complain about it."
The report says the boy said the victim was seen as an "easy target" because he is "different."
The report shows neither of the coaches were interviewed by police. Officer Wood reported attempting to contact Pertzborn, however his lawyer informed her that Pertzborn would not be speaking to police.
Police were denied interviews with some of the students who had been identified as potential suspects, as well.
The district reports it's already taken action as a result of this report, like increased supervision in locker rooms. The district's investigation into the incidents is still ongoing.
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