No charges filed against Everest Metro Police Chief Clayton Schulz

But questions about how his conduct will be addressed go unanswered

For readers of The Wausonian, it probably wouldn’t come as a surprise that the Everest Metro Police and Fire Commission chose not to file charges of sexual harassment against Everest Metro Police Chief Clayton Schulz.

Why not? Because The Wausonian obtained the report from law firm von Briesen and Roper detailings its findings. In case you missed it or need a reminder:

The Wausonian since publishing this story received a copy of a letter concluding the investigation.

According to the letter from law firm Von Briesen and Roper, sent to Eisenreich, dated in August, suggested that Schulz’ conduct did not reach the level of sexual harassment, though his behavior was highly unprofessional. The incidents go back to 2022 and 2021 but specifics were not given in the letter.

However, the letter continues, their findings raise concerns about Schulz’s performance, particularly the manner in which he addresses subordinates. That includes increased emotional intelligence and awareness of cultural differences.

The letter suggests the following actions Schulz should follow:

The Wausonian has learned the name of the complainant but is not publishing it to protect the whistleblower.

von Briesen is nothing if not thorough. They’re the law firm central Wisconsin municipalities call in when they need to conduct an investigation. That thoroughness comes at a price — a pretty hefty one at that.

While von Briesen’s report said that Schulz’s conduct didn’t reach levels that constitute the legal definition of sexual harassment, the letter didn’t say Schulz didn’t do anything wrong. It in fact recommended a series of corrective steps, including an apology and reflection session.

As state police union officials pointed out, the woman who filed the complaint still has to work with Schulz. We received a copy of the report with her name redacted but an earlier version had her name visible. The Wausonian pointed this out and received a copy with all instances of her name redacted, which was used in all excerpts in this story.

I reached out to Police and Fire Commission President Dave Eisenreich to ask whether any action would be taken on the steps outlined in von Briesen’s report.

As of Friday afternoon, The Wausonian has not received a response. And considering an attorney delivered the verdict during the open portion of the police and fire commission on Wednesday, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were advised not to speak on the matter any further. (The Wausonian will update this report if and when it does receive a response.)

For our paid subscribers, I’ve attached more excerpts from the report. As mentioned, the alleged victim’s name is redacted.