On coattails of recall attempt, allegations of sexual harassment during convention social function come to light.

By Brandi Makuski & Jake Mathias

A recently- released memo from the Stevens Point Area Public School District has brought to light allegations of inappropriate behavior by two members of the School Board.

Accusations of unruly behavior and sexual harassment were reported by a waitress at the Miller Time Pub, a restaurant attached to the Hilton in Milwaukee where several Board Members and other district officials were staying during last January’s state School Board convention.

The waitress later identified- as did the restaurant manager- the two Board Members as Kim Shirek and Lisa Totten.

Kim Shirek (left) and Lisa Totten at a November School Board meeting. (City TImes photo)

Board President Angel Faxon reported the incident to the district last February but said she had no further comment on the memo itself.

Additional details became available following an open records request made City Times staff in December. In a heavily-redacted memo written by Faxon and released Friday, she informs the Board that on Jan. 25, 2014, she arrived at the restaurant just as manager James Sanchez and an unnamed security guard were questioning Shirek and Totten at a table where the three planned to meet for dinner.

In her memo Faxon said she followed up on the encounter with Sanchez later and discovered several complaints were lodged against Shirek and Totten, as well as the two unidentified men they were with, as they dined in the restaurant on the previous evening, the night of Jan. 24.

City Times staff has been able to independently verify some of the claims from that evening. Two employees of the pub- a bartender and a waitress- refused to serve the two Board Members again, with the waitress telling Sanchez the group made sexually suggestive comments towards her the night before, also alleging Shirek made sexually-charged comments about her breasts.

The waitress also claimed the group emptied the entire contents of several bottles of condiments on the dishes at their table.

During an interview last week, Faxon confirmed she also witnessed some other inappropriate actions from Shirek and Totten during the same convention, but when asked for details Faxon only said, “No comment.”

Superintendent Attila Weninger also said he had no comment, as did several other members of the Board.

Angel Faxon in January. (City Times photo)

When asked how a Board Member might be punished for behavior which breaks official Board policy, Faxon said formal censure is the most likely, but that would “likely be the extent of it; and whether that happens depends on the other members of the Board”.

It was not immediately known if Shirek and Totten have been censured over the claims, which, if true, are in violation of several of the Board’s own policies regarding behavior, bullying and harassment.

District officials gave Totten and Shirek an opportunity to “augment” Faxon’s memo, offering an explanation to place the events into greater context prior to releasing the document. No such augmentation was received from either member by the 8 AM deadline on Friday, according to Sarah O’Donnell, administrative & public relations coordinator for the district.

Shirek was asked if she had any comment on the allegations following the Jan. 5 Human Resources Committee meeting, which she chairs.

“Well, I will not talk to anybody from the City Times,” Shirek said.

Shirek and Totten are both in their second terms on the School Board, and both have been the center of several controversies regarding conflicts of interest and disrespectful behavior during Board meetings.

Earlier this month a group called “Save Our Schools” initiated the process of gathering just over 6,500 valid signatures to recall the two Board Members, citing inability to cooperatively work with administration, staff and other board members to move the district forward; disrespectful and rude in public televised meetings; poorly represents the district by unprofessional demeanor.

Additional information on whether Shirek and Totten would be attending the 2015 state convention, held later this month, was not immediately available.