Jeff Zander, a retired dentist, has been banned from Shawano Community High School after decades of working with students, and he made it clear during the Dec. 22 Shawano School Board meeting that he is not happy.
Zander, 73, told the board he’s spent more than 20 years serving as a substitute for the Shawano School District, something that he’s considered an honor, he said. That honor came to an end after a complaint was filed against him Feb. 28, and he was subsequently told by the SCHS administration that he was banned from the high school during regular school hours.
Zander did not elaborate on the details of the complaint, but his wife, Holly, gave each board member large envelopes he said provided information regarding the high school and the district’s actions. He cited board policy saying employees are to be treated fairly, which he claimed didn’t happen in his situation.
“This section shall apply to all regular, full-time, part-time, limited, temporary and seasonal employees,” Zander said, reading from the policy. “In accordance with district policy, I am presenting these materials directly to you, because the complaints of misconduct that I’m alleging against various district employees negates the entire chain of complaint review below the board level, including your current legal counsel.”
Zander claimed the complaint was without merit.
“That complaint was completely false and motivated by factors occurring inside the district offices,” he said.
Zander said that being retired gave him a flexible schedule to be able to be a substitute teacher and guest lecturer, the latter he noted he did without pay.
Zander and his wife have previously donated items and money to SCHS. In 2018, they donated antique anatomical charts that were, at that time, a century old, along with $900. He donated $1,000 in 2015 after getting the Bill Mielke Volunteer Educator Award from the Shawano Area Community Foundation so the high school science department could get equipment and supplies.
Zander has also previously volunteered for the high school’s jazz festival, volunteered for fundraisers for the SCHS auditorium and worked with Shawano Dollars for Scholars.
“As a taxpayer, an alumni, a financial supporter of the Shawano School District and a volunteer for multiple district programs, I am personally offended by what has occurred here,” Zander said. “I intend to vigorously defend my privilege of teaching at Shawano High School. In my opinion, multiple board policies and several Wisconsin statutes have been violated by district employees in an effort to remove me from teaching our students.”
Zander did not elaborate on which policies and state laws applied, but he said he has suffered “personal financial expenses, physical and emotional harm, (and) defamation of my character and reputation,” adding that damage to the quality of education in the district has occurred from banning him and believes it’ll be something the board has to address.
Because the district’s legal counsel, Geoffrey Lacy, is named in one of the complaints, Zander said, it should excuse the attorney from taking part in future discussions.
“His misconduct against the district may become a separate issue for your discussion at a later date,” he said.
Zander said he is willing to negotiate a settlement to the complaint with Lacy and Board President Tim Renard but claimed neither have responded. He said that the items in the envelopes were confidential, and if the confidentiality is breached, legal action will be taken.
No formal legal action from Zander against the school district has been listed on Wisconsin’s online court records.
Preceding Zander’s comments, Renard read the district’s policy on community comments, usually reserved for something controversial. Anyone who wants to speak during the community comments portion of the board meeting must sign in and list the topic that’s going to be spoken about.
Superintendent Kurt Krizan said after the meeting he could not comment on Zander’s claims.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
