PDF-Full Text of the “Woznicki Fix” (2003 Wisconsin Act 47)

This document contains the full text of 2003 Wisconsin Act 47 which is sometimes called the Woznicki Fix Act 47 addressed certain issues related to the Woznicki Rule that was established as a result of the Wisconsin Supreme Courts 1996 ruling in the case of Thomas Woznicki vs Dennis Erickson Specifically the Woznicki Fix clarified who was required to receive a Woznicki Notice and specified a timeframe during which a public employee could challenge the release of records under the Woznicki Rule. This is a 1996 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling pertaining to a former New Richmond High School teacher named Thomas Woznicki who successfully fought to prevent the release of his personnel and telephone records. The ruling established the “Woznicki Notice” precedent, which gives public employees in Wisconsin the right to challenge the release of certain public records. This is the Summons and Complaint from a lawsuit that Thomas Woznicki filed in 2011, seeking to prevent the release of his personnel records maintained by the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district. This photograph was taken while Thomas Woznicki served as the Superintendent of the Florence County, Wisconsin School District between 2009 and 2013. The letter on the first page is called a “Woznicki Notice” and was sent to Thomas Woznicki on July 12, 2011. Thomas Woznicki subsequently invoked the “Woznicki Rule,” seeking to prevent the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district from releasing his personnel records. This document contains numerous emails obtained from the Boscobel, Wisconsin school district, along with the Minutes of a special School Board meeting that was held on July 1, 2014. Note the “Closed Session” portion of the School Board Minutes and the series of emails following the School Board Minutes. Also note the email exchange between Thomas Woznicki and Brian Johnston, Business Manager at the School District of New Richmond, which occurred on June 26, 2014. This document contains numerous emails obtained from the Florence County, Wisconsin school district, along with copies of letters pertaining to Thomas Woznicki’s employment as Superintendent. Note the email from School Board President Jim Churchill to Superintendent Thomas Woznicki sent on April 23, 2013, along with the subsequent series of emails. Also note the email at the bottom of the third page (sent on November 16, 2012) and the email sent by current Superintendent Ben Niehaus on June 2, 2015. This document contains School Board Minutes obtained from the Florence County, Wisconsin school district. Note the “Closed Session” Minutes for the School Board meeting held on April 22, 2013, on the third page. The Documents Subpoena pertains to Thomas Woznicki, a former teacher at the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district. The letter on the first page indicates that the subpoena was filed in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. This document contains a Criminal Complaint and Summons pertaining to Thomas Woznicki, a former teacher at the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district. The document indicates that the case was filed in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. This document contains a License Review Referral submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Bureau for Teacher Education, Licensing, and Placement during April of 1994. The referral pertained to Thomas Woznicki, a teacher at New Richmond High School, and was filed by the Superintendent of the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district. This document appears to indicate that Thomas Woznicki was asked to leave the New Richmond (pages 23-28), Florence County (pages 57-59), and Boscobel (pages 64-69) school districts in Wisconsin. The contents of the document span a timeframe of approximately two decades (20 years). The New Richmond, Wisconsin school district filed a License Review Referral with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Bureau for Teacher Education, Licensing, and Placement during April of 1994 (page 13). Twenty years later (April 2014), Thomas Woznicki was apparently still employed in Wisconsin’s public school system as the Superintendent of the Boscobel, Wisconsin school district. It is unclear what actions, if any, the Wisconsin DPI licensing bureau has taken related to the apparent decisions made by the three aforementioned school districts. This document contains selected portions of Thomas Woznicki’s personnel file obtained from the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district. Certain documents have been omitted due to potentially disturbing and/or graphic content pertaining to allegations of misconduct. The complete file may be obtained from the school district upon request. The release of the complete file was disputed in the Wisconsin Supreme Court case of Thomas Woznicki v. Dennis Erickson. The Woznicki v. Erickson ruling established the “Woznicki Rule” precedent, which gives public employees in Wisconsin the right to challenge the release of certain public records after receiving a “Woznicki Notice.” The more recent case of Thomas Woznicki v. Jeff Moberg also pertained to Thomas Woznicki’s personnel records from the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district. This document appears to indicate that Thomas Woznicki was asked to leave the New Richmond (pages 23-28), Florence County (pages 59-61), and Boscobel (pages 67-72) school districts in Wisconsin. The contents of the document span a timeframe of approximately two decades (20 years). The New Richmond, Wisconsin school district filed a License Review Referral with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Bureau for Teacher Education, Licensing, and Placement during April of 1994 (page 13). Twenty years later (April 2014), Thomas Woznicki was apparently still employed in Wisconsin’s public school system as the Superintendent of the Boscobel, Wisconsin school district. It is unclear what actions, if any, the Wisconsin DPI licensing bureau has taken related to the apparent decisions made by the three aforementioned school districts. This document appears to contain a list of fifteen “admissions made by Woznicki” from some form of “grievance arbitration” associated with Thomas Woznicki and the New Richmond, Wisconsin school district. Note Admissions 5 and 9 on the second page, along with Admissions 14 and 15 on the third page. Consider the implications of Admission 15, which states, “At least one other female student, his current fiancée, came to his home while she was one of Woznicki’s students.” Since the document refers to the fifteen numbered items as “admissions made by Woznicki,” it appears that Thomas Woznicki may have acknowledged the validity of these statements.