Oak Creek sex assault investigation; mother criticizes school district
Mother criticizes school district after sex assault case
The mother of a student involved in a Oak Creek High School teacher sexual assault case sat down with FOX6 News for an interview after speaking up during a school board meeting this week.
FRANKLIN, Wis. - Nearly a year after a jury found a former Oak Creek High School teacher not guilty of sexually assaulting a student, the mother of the student at the center of it all is sounding off on the investigation, but not the one done by police.
What we know:
Laura Grall brought her concern to the Oak Creek Franklin Joint School District's School Board Monday night, after a jury exonerated Rachel Goodle, 24, in October.
Laura Grall
"I'm here tonight to bring the public's attention, however, so that the Oak Creek Franklin School District misconducted an investigation regarding my 14-year-old child," Grall said.
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The board shut down her comments, as they weren't directed toward a specific item on the meeting's agenda.
Then, Grall sat down with FOX6 News Thursday to explain her frustration.
"I'm hoping that there's changes made at Oak Creek, so no other family has to go through what we went through, and I'm hoping that the people that put us through this are held accountable," Grall said.
Laura Grall
The backstory:
Grall criticized the school district for how it handled its investigations, which are spelled out in open records obtained by FOX6 News.
FOX6 first filed open records requests after Milwaukee County prosecutors charged Goodle in July 2023 to see her personnel file and how the district handled the investigation. Goodle then sued the Oak Creek Franklin Joint School District to block the release of her records. The judge ruled in favor of the district, and the records were released.
The investigation focused on Dec. 2, 2022.
Goodle then returned wearing a dress and can be seen walking into her classroom with the student and closing the door behind them. The two are in the classroom for 53 minutes before they're seen leaving together and walking to the high school's gym, where they sat together in the parents' section to watch a junior varsity basketball game.
A first district investigation conducted between December 2022 and January 2023 found Goodle lied to the district at least 11 times about her contact with the student.
Grall said Thursday she only learned of that after FOX6's reporting.
"They (the district) need to be fully transparent, and if they have information, they need to share it with the parents and not try to cover it up and hide it...," Grall said.
Laura Grall
But that information was not admissible during Goodle's trial in October.
Dig deeper:
A 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision, known as Garrity, protects public employees from incriminating themselves in internal investigations, when they can be fired.
Oak Creek Police reports, obtained by FOX6 News, showed the department's School Resource Officer assigned to the high school first learned of the allegations of an inappropriate relationship in January 2023. The department did not get formally involved until May 2023, when a separate teacher heard the student yell in a hallway he'd had sex with Goodle. The comments came months after the student had first denied it as part of discussions for the school district's investigations.
Goodle's supporters focused on what they call discrepancies in the student's account, while the case played out in court.
Oak Creek High School
Had police been involved sooner, Grall said the outcome could have changed.
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"I think it would have made his story more credible. I think there was a chance of maybe getting more physical evidence," Grall said.
She specifically wanted to see administration officials, including those who conducted the school district's investigations, be held accountable.
What they're saying:
State records show Goodle has not returned to teaching. Her license remains expired and is listed as being under investigation.
A spokesperson for Goodle declined a request for an interview and comment.
Oak Creek teacher sex assault case; Rachel Goodle found not guilty
A former Oak Creek High School teacher Rachel Goodle was found not guilty at trial on Thursday of second-degree sexual assault of a child.
The Oak Creek Franklin Joint School District also declined, saying it's unable to comment on the outcome of a criminal case or on matters involving former employees.
Grall, meanwhile, said she feels her son's high school experience is tarnished after the situation unfolded.
The Source: FOX6 News obtained information and documents through open records requests and cross-referenced court records. We also conducted interviews.