MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge found the City of Milwaukee in contempt Thursday for failing to put 25 school resource officers (SROs) back in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). 

The City of Milwaukee will be fined $1,000 a day starting Thursday, after failing to comply with a judge’s order, according to a court ruling.

What You Need To Know

  • The City of Milwaukee missed a court-ordered deadline on Thursday to add school resource officers into MPS schools

  • Judge David Borowski ruled to hold the city in contempt and said it will be fined $1,000 a day starting Thursday

  • Borowski had given both the school district and the city until Feb. 27 to add the officers and split the cost

  • MPS had approved its half of the funding last week

Judge David Borowski had given both the school district and the city until Feb. 27 to add the officers. It also required them to split of the cost of the action. It came after MPS missed an initial deadline of Feb. 17.

Following that ruling, MPS complied, with the Milwaukee Board of School Directors authorizing its half of the funding — $800,000 — in a meeting last week Thursday.

However, the city failed to comply in the 10 days given and was held in contempt of court during the hearing on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Borowski stayed the ruling until March 15 to give the City of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) a window to meet three requirements. This means that if the city meets the requirements by March 15, they can avoid fines. However, if the city fails to meet them by March 15, it will have to pay the $1,000 daily fine. Fines would start Thursday, Feb. 27, meaning the City of Milwaukee would owe $17,000. 

The three requirements that must be met by March 15 to avoid that fine are:

  • The Milwaukee Common Council must prove it has approved and signed a memorandum of understanding with the school district on funding for the officers
  • The City of Milwaukee and MPS shall provide specifics on the SROs hired, which included their names and the schools they’re assigned to. This information can be sealed
  • Training for the SROs must be completed or underway

“This court expects action, and this court expects its orders followed,” Borowski said. 

Borowski’s sanctions stems from a lawsuit filed back in October by MPS parent, Charlene Abughrin, when the school district and city failed to follow Act 12, a law that mandated MPS have police officers serve as school resources officers.

Abughrin was in the courtroom Thursday morning during the ruling.

“I think it should be more, for the amount of time that they've taken to comply. They've had 18 months,” Abughrin said. 

Borowski accused the city and police department of running out the clock.

The city rebutted and said SROs still need special training before being placed back in the school district.

“If I agree with the position that we can't do anything without the National Association for School Resource Officers Training these cops, that puts us in May or June, best case scenario,” Borowski said. 

In a statement, City Attorney Evan Goyke said:

"Since 2023, the City of Milwaukee has worked to comply with the law to deploy school resource officers. We will complete the work as quickly as possible. With the judge’s stay of his order, we expect to fully comply with the law prior to any sanctions being imposed.”

Following Thursday’s ruling, MPS issued a statement:

“At the onset of ACT 12’s passage, the District made every effort to work with the City of Milwaukee and with stakeholders to ensure compliance with ACT 12. 

“As we have shared, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) stands ready to implement a School Resource Officer (SRO) program as soon as officers are made available to the district. 

“MPS will continue to do everything within our power to ensure compliance with the law and to honor Judge David Borowski’s ruling.”

The Milwaukee Common Council has a special meeting set for Friday morning to discuss memo of understanding between MPS and the city on reimplementing SROs.

Both the city and MPS will be back in court March 17.

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