Rosendale-Brandon School District. PC: Fox 11 Online
ROSENDALE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Laconia teacher has resigned nearly two weeks after drawing community backlash about comments she made regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Rosendale-Brandon School District Superintendent Wayne Weber confirmed that Kaytie Storms, an English teacher at Laconia High School, has resigned from her job, effective immediately.
Storms reportedly made a post on social media after Kirk’s death that described him, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, as “a racist, xenophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, sexist, white nationalist mouthpiece who made millions of dollars inciting hatred in this country.”
The post went on to say, “I extend no empathy for people like that.”
Storms was placed on administrative leave while the school district reviewed the situation. Weber said in his initial statement, “While the District recognizes individuals have protected speech under the First Amendment, it also has a responsibility to review any matter that may impact the learning environment for our students and staff.”
Other teachers in Northeast Wisconsin have also come under fire for social media posts about Kirk’s assassination, including one at Oshkosh West High School and another at New Holstein High School.
In two emails sent Wednesday to district families and staff, Weber said a long-term substitute to cover Storms’ classes is already in place. He also addressed why Storms will receive a severance payment. You can read Weber’s full emails below.
Message #1
Dear Rosendale-Brandon School District Families and Staff,
I am writing to inform you that English teacher Kaytie Storms has resigned from her position at Laconia High School, effective immediately. We thank her for her service to our students and wish her well in her future endeavors.
To support a smooth transition for students, a long-term substitute teacher is already in place for the affected classes. He has been working closely with the other two English teachers to follow the required curriculum. Additionally, they are supporting instruction and assessments, including Advanced Placement coursework, for the remainder of the school year.
The open teaching position will be posted in the near future, and we hope to have a certified English teacher in place as soon as possible.
Our priority is to ensure students continue receiving a high-quality education with consistent classroom support. If you have any questions regarding your student’s coursework, please reach out to the high school office.
Thank you for your attention to this update and for your continued support.
Message #2
Dear Rosendale-Brandon School District Families and Staff,
We have received a number of communications from community members seeking further clarification regarding Kaytie Storms’ resignation from her position at Laconia High School.
After much consideration, the District determined that the best way forward for the students, staff, and the administration, as well as the community at large, was to enter into a mutual separation agreement with Ms. Storms, which includes a severance payment. While the agreement was executed yesterday, the law requires that Ms. Storms’ be given a seven-day period during which the agreement can be revoked. As such, the specific terms of the agreement remain unfinalized and cannot yet be disclosed. When the revocation period expires, the agreement will be final and subject to the processes under Wisconsin’s Open Records laws, which include a notification period to Ms. Storms should she wish to challenge the release of the agreement.
The Board and the administration considered a number of factors in making the decision to enter into a separation agreement, in lieu of other methods of addressing Ms. Storms’ conduct. Termination proceedings likely would have continued for weeks or months, during which Ms. Storms would have remained on paid leave, and also would have incurred potentially significant legal and administrative fees. The prolonged hearing process would have also negatively impacted our community by placing a continued focus on this issue—which has already caused a lot of disruption to our school and community—rather than allowing students and parents to move forward in a positive and constructive fashion and focus on the many great things our District has achieved and continues to work toward. When weighing the potential costs (both monetary and non-monetary) of other methods versus a separation agreement, the District concluded that the agreement reached was in the best interest of the community, both from a fiscal perspective, and from the perspective of moving past this episode so that the District can focus its full resources on the education and well-being of its students.
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