MILWAUKEE — A judge ruled on Thursday that Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) must place 25 School Resource Officers (SROs) at public schools across the district no later than February 17. SROs would need to be be actively available during regular school hours in compliance with Act 12.
Act 12 was codified into Wisconsin state law in 2023 and took effect on January 1, 2024.
MPS has technically been out of compliance with this law since it took effect, which led the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) to file a lawsuit in October on behalf of an MPS parent identified as Charlene Abughrin.
The judge dismissed MPS’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit and ordered MPS to comply with the law.
WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel stated, “This is a massive triumph for parents and kids who want to go to school in a safe environment. Without this ruling, MPS would have simply continued to ignore the law and parents like our client would have been left with no options.”
Milwaukee parent and WILL client Charlene Abughrin expressed, “I am grateful to WILL for bringing this lawsuit. I will sleep better knowing that my child, and others, will be protected once MPS begins to comply with the law.”
If MPS fails to comply by the morning of February 17, the district must appear before the court at 3:00 PM that afternoon to explain why they have not adhered to the law. As part of the ruling, the court has directed WILL to amend its initial complaint and add the City of Milwaukee to the case. The Court said it would issue a written order by Monday.
In response, the Milwaukee Public School’s Board of School Directors released the following statement:
As it has all along, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) remains ready to implement a School Resource Officer (SRO) program as soon as officers are made available by the City of Milwaukee. The Court’s decision today ordering the City of Milwaukee to participate in the implementation of the SRO program at MPS is a recognition that the City plays an integral role in implementation of the SRO program. MPS remains committed to working collaboratively with the City to build a sustainable SRO program.
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