The communities that make up the Bonduel School District were rocked with the news that Kaitlyn Hintz, associate principal for Bonduel Middle-High School, was arrested on charges related to the sexual assault of a minor.
Hintz, 32, is being charged with one count of repeated sexual assault of a child and one count of second degree sexual assault of a child under age 16, which each carry maximum penalties of 40 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. Hintz was also charged with child enticement, which carries a maximum of 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.
Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge Katherine Sloma levied a $500,000 cash bond against Hintz on Oct. 21 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Oct. 27.
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department received a tip Oct. 16 from Speak Up Speak Out that Hintz allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a female student that started almost two years ago. According to the criminal complaint, Hintz allegedly communicated with the victim first through Google Teams and then eventually asked for her phone number.
The anonymous tipster reported that Hintz and the victim allegedly hooked up in the school’s locker room and in other places on school property. There were also instances where Hintz allegedly invited the victim to her home in Green Bay for sexual encounters, according to the criminal complaint.
In an interview with the victim, she initially denied having a physical relationship with Hintz, but then she described sexual encounters that took place in Bonduel, Pulaski and the towns of Green Valley and Angelica. The victim claimed things started getting physical around the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, and she claimed the acts were consensual and that she did not feel coerced.
The victim claimed she and Hintz mutually agreed to end the relationship in June 2025.
According to the criminal complaint, Hintz claimed the victim was having difficulty at home because of coming to terms with her sexuality and that on one occasion, the victim’s family locked her out of her home.
Hintz noted in her first year, there were unfounded rumors about her and two other students, and she acknowledged she was concerned that her sexuality might cause rumors.
Hintz denied having a sexual relationship with the victim in her interview with detectives, although she acknowledged that she did hug the victim on more than one occasion, something that’s against school rules. Hintz told detectives she did give out her cell phone number but indicated to the victim it should only be used in an emergency.
Hintz claimed all off-campus meetings and contacts were for conversation, mental health support and safety checks, according to the criminal complaint. She also denied allegations on the tip line that she bought the victim a Nike baseball cap and claimed the victim was stalking her.
However, forensic examination of Hintz’s phone disputed Hintz’s claims that she was never in a relationship with the victim, including one text message earlier this year that read: “Your girlfriend thinks you’re the best, and good night. I love you.”
The anonymous tipster said she came forward out of concern not only for the victim but for the fact she has three other family members who will likely go to the school, noting, “If I found out she did this to them and it’s because I didn’t report it, I would never be able to forgive myself.”
Besides the Shawano County charges, detectives were also recommending charges be filed in Brown County for what happened in Green Bay. Besides duplicating the three charges for Shawano County, it was recommended Hintz be charge with sexual misconduct by a school staff person.
Bonduel School District Superintendent Joe Dawidziak sent a letter to families Oct. 19 that informed them of Hintz’s arrest and noted Hintz was immediately placed on administrative leave after the sheriff’s department informed him of the investigation.
“The district remains in contact with law enforcement and will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation,” Dawidziak wrote. “Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we cannot share further details at this time. We also want to emphasize the importance of reporting any concerns about student safety or inappropriate conduct. We encourage students, families and staff to contact a school administrator or use the Speak Up, Speak Out reporting system.”
Dawidziak said that law enforcement confirmed none of the alleged activity took place on school property and that none of the alleged communications took place on the district’s digital platforms.
“We recognize that this news is deeply concerning for our students, families, staff and community,” he wrote. “Please know that we take these allegations extremely seriously. The safety and wellbeing of our students remains our highest priority.”
Some in Bonduel are urging people not to judge the actions of one individual as something indicative of the district’s culture. A Facebook post by Gehm’s Club 117 urged holding out on judging Bonduel in the court of public opinion.
“Sometimes things happen in a small community that leaves us more questions then answers, heavy hearts and concern for our children,” the post read. “During this time, please remember what makes our community special. One person’s actions do not define an entire school, it’s students or our community. Now is the time to come together, show kindness, look out for each other and remember our children’s well being is priority. Bonduel is more than a school, a business or a village. It is neighbors. friends, families and a community who looks out for each other.”
