OCONOMOWOC — An Oconomowoc school that serves students with disabilities is now at the center of a federal civil rights lawsuit.
The parents of a teen with autism are suing Genesee Lake School, alleging its staff repeatedly used chemical injections and excessive force to restrain their daughter.
Our Lighthouse team spoke exclusively with the parents, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their child's identity.
Watch: Parents sue Oconomowoc school, alleging use of unlawful chemical and physical restraints on teen with autism
“Why did you want to do this interview?” reporter Ben Jordan asked.
“Simply put, we do not want anything like this to happen to other families and other children,” the plaintiff’s father replied.
The plaintiff’s parents say they thought their daughter was in good hands, hours away from home at Genesee Lake School — a school for children and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders.
That abruptly changed in the fall of 2022, when they said they received an email from a former program supervisor that read: “I am writing out of great concern as to the treatment of {your daughter} and other students with reference to physical restraints.” The email went on to say, “I could not sit and watch the violations of policy go on day after day.”
“It spelled out, ‘I’m sorry, I should have told you about this earlier,’” the plaintiff’s father said. “If she was having a fit, they restrained her and then used the medication to basically knock her out.”
They rushed to Oconomowoc to pick up their 18-year-old daughter the same day.
"We were hysterical, and all we could think of was, ‘Get her out of here,’” the plaintiff’s father said.
They say they found her with bruises all over her arms and legs.
“My heart broke in a thousand pieces,” the plaintiff’s mother said. “Beyond sadness, I was extremely angry.”
The plaintiff’s parents say they immediately demanded answers about what happened to their daughter.
“The only information that we received from the school was that one person was terminated. That is it,” the plaintiff’s mother said.
Unsatisfied with the school’s response, they’re now seeking accountability in federal court. Kristen Lojewski is their personal injury attorney.
“What are the main claims in this lawsuit?” Jordan asked.
“Essentially, what is the overarching issue in this case is that my client was targeted because she has a severe disability, and the facility itself, Genesee Lake, was utilizing unreasonable, unnecessary, and unlawful restraints — both chemical and physical — to try to subdue her when they should have been using de-escalation and other methods well prior to even getting to a physical or chemical restraint,” Lojewski replied.
Genesee Lake School (GLS) declined TMJ4’s interview request. In a statement, its executive director of services said, “These claims were thoroughly investigated in 2022 by legal and licensing entities. These allegations were found to be wholly unsubstantiated.”
“What’s your reaction to that?” Jordan asked the plaintiff’s parents.
"Disbelief,” the plaintiff’s mother said. “I didn’t receive a report from this third-party investigator. We didn’t receive a report. It was our daughter.”
Genesee Lake School declined to provide TMJ4 with those third-party investigative reports.
In a statement, GLS said its policy states, “Physical interventions must be a last resort.”
Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction requires schools to report restraint incidents every year. During the school year in question, 2022-23, GLS reported 200 incidents of restraint. TMJ4 found that was the second most of any school across the state.
“What goes through your mind when you hear that number of incidents of restraint that they reported to the state?” Jordan asked.
“It’s astounding,” the plaintiff’s father replied.
“There are stages to it before you have to use the restraints, and none of those were applied,” the plaintiff’s mother added. “The deep breathing, all of the calming methods to use, the sensory report — nothing was there before restraints were used. The restraints were the first thing used.”
Genesee Lake School's full statement:
Genesee Lake School (GLS) specializes in providing educational and therapeutic services for students aged 7 to 21 diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. We offer day school, residential treatment, and respite care for students who face challenges in traditional environments and may display challenging behaviors. Physical and emotional safety is central to our mission and we are deeply committed to the well-being of every student in our care.
It is our policy and practice to limit physical intervention to every extent possible, maintaining strict adherence to state and federal laws regarding the use of restraint and other behavioral interventions. Our staff is fully trained in industry-leading trauma-informed de-escalation techniques intended to reduce the need for interventions, and we tailor our behavioral treatment and therapeutic support plans to meet the unique needs of each student in our care. Physical interventions must be a last resort, used only when there is a clear, present, and immediate physical safety risk to the student or others.
Regarding the allegations outlined in the recent lawsuit, these claims were thoroughly investigated in 2022 by third-party legal and licensing entities. These allegations were found to be wholly unsubstantiated.
As this is a pending legal matter, we are limited in our ability to comment further at this time. However, we remain fully committed to providing a safe, supportive, and effective environment for our students.
- Vicky Raml-Glider, Executive Director of Services at Genesee Lake School
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