OCONTO FALLS, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Three former students of the Oconto Falls Public School District filed a federal lawsuit against the district Wednesday, alleging the district failed to act to prevent sexually-predatory actions by staff members.
The theory of Plaintiffs’ case against the Board is not simply that they were sexually abused, but that they were abused by teachers and coaches under circumstances created by the Board through its pervasive custom and policy of knowing about teacher-student sexual abuse and failing to act. While Plaintiffs were aware of their abuse, they had no knowledge, and no reason to know, of the Board’s unwritten policies, customs, and practices tolerating sexual abuse and grooming across many teachers and students, and the Board’s deliberate indifference to such conduct until Fall 2025, when they learned of the full scope of teacher-student sexual abuse at Oconto Falls High School and the Board’s decades-long pattern of ignoring it. The Board’s conduct in maintaining such unwritten policies, customs, and practices was entirely within the Board’s own control, and wholly unknown to Plaintiffs prior to 2025,” the lawsuit states.
Three specific students are identified as plaintiffs: Amanda Watzka, Brooke LaCount, and Grace Williams. They allege incidents ranging from 2010 to 2018.
Three specific teachers are mentioned, although they are not named as defendants in the case. One, Brynn Larsen, was sentenced in 2021 for sexually assaulting a student.
Another, Gayle Gander, is awaiting trial. Information about criminal charges against the third teacher named were not immediately available.
The lawsuit also identifies other unnamed victims and unnamed staff members.
The school district released this statement:
Oconto Falls School District staff and parents of current students were notified today that three former students filed a lawsuit against the District pertaining to allegations involving misconduct against them by two former school district employees. The allegations of misconduct by these two former school district employees were previously reported to the District, investigated by the District, and referred to law enforcement. One of the former employees has already been convicted and sentenced to prison for her actions.
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. The District is confident that its past actions and its response to Plaintiffs’ demands have satisfied its duty to keep its students and schools safe. By working with law enforcement, the District has addressed each of these situations.
Plaintiffs’ allegations in their complaint about other staff and other students have also been investigated by the District. The District’s staff of excellent professional educators strive every day to deliver a great educational experience for all students. This is not diminished by the inexcusable actions of these identified former employees. In every instance in which the District became aware of allegations against an individual, definitive action has been taken.
The District is not able to comment further on the details of this lawsuit as it is an ongoing matter. The District remains confident, however, that it will continue to act promptly to any allegations of misconduct.
The plaintiffs and their lawyers are planning a news conference for Wednesday morning. Two of the former students are expected to speak.
The plaintiffs are asking for unspecified monetary damages and for the board to implement policies to prevent future incidents.
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