School District of Milton Administrator Jerry Schuetz released a statement through his attorney Monday after an investigation found that there was no wrongdoing involved in a stipend he was paid:
School District of Milton Director of Administrative Operations Jerry Schuetz welcomed and fully participated in the district’s independent investigation into the stipend paid to him for performing work outside his contract for the School District of Milton. As anticipated, the investigation found no wrongdoing by Mr. Schuetz. The stipend he received for performing extra
work was consistent with Board policies and past practices, not “unbudgeted bonuses” as has been reported by some media outlets.
In addition to concluding no wrongdoing on Mr. Schuetz’s part, the District’s investigation determined that the release of Mr. Schuetz’s personnel records to local media without giving him an opportunity to augment those records was done in violation of state law.
Mr. Schuetz states, “I am grateful to the District for taking the time to fully investigate this issue and look forward to returning my attention to my work and continued service to the students and families of Milton.” He added, “This has been a very difficult and emotionally challenging time for me and my family. While I’m grateful for the unwavering support of my family, to read unfounded and untruthful comments about my conduct in the press and throughout several social media sites has been very hurtful. I look forward to working with the Board to resolve any issues
going forward and hope that those discussions can be based in fact rather than speculation.”
Mr. Schuetz’s attorney, Caitlin Madden, of Hawks Quindel in Madison, noted, “We are looking into Mr. Schuetz’s potential legal claims related to the release of his personnel records, as well as the statements made about Mr. Schuetz online and to the media. False statements that harm or diminish the reputation of a member of the community may constitute defamation.” Attorney Madden continued, “We hope to resolve any issues amicably, in recognition of the investigation’s conclusion that my client has acted lawfully and continued his work as a dedicated public servant despite
the meritless accusations made about him.”
