Spring Grove principal suspended
Nippersink school district officials voted unanimously Wednesday to suspend Spring Grove Grade School Principal Daniel Markofski without pay after the administrator was accused of having a marijuana- and alcohol-laced sexual liaison with teenage girls Saturday in a Wisconsin motel room.
However, parents of children attending Spring Grove expressed concern that school officials did not immediately inform parents of the situation and that, instead, they had to hear about the allegations in the news.
The roughly 40 parents in attendance during Wednesday's special board meeting said additional drug screenings and tougher background checks need to be put in place for all teachers and administrators.
"Why weren't families notified when you found out about this?" asked parent Tom Wilson. "We should have been told the second you knew about this situation."
Court documents state Markofski was arrested in Glendale, Wis., located just north of Milwaukee, after an officer on routine patrol found him partially clothed in a motel room with two girls, ages 15 and 16, early Saturday morning.
Markofski performed a sex act on the 16-year-old while the younger teen was in the room, prosecutors said. Markofski met the older teenager on a telephone chat line, authorities said.
In addition, Markofski is accused of ordering a pornographic movie for the teens. Both Milwaukee County girls suggested "Alvin and the Chipmunks" when the trio discussed watching a movie, authorities said, but Markofski decided on the pornography.
Glendale police officer Joel Dhein said Markofski's arrest resulted from a cop on a routine community patrol detecting a marijuana odor coming from the motel room as he walked through the building.
Dhein said officer Thomas Treder entered the room and found a boxer shorts-clad Markofski with the two girls as the porn movie played on the TV at a high volume. The girls were partially clothed.
Markofski admitted buying wine coolers, cognac and cigars for the teens, court documents state. Police said the cigars were stuffed with marijuana and smoked by the girls.
District 2 Superintendent Dan Oest said Markofski passed a background check and a tough hiring process prior to being named principal at Spring Grove. However, he admitted a drug screening was not part of the process.
In addition, he said the district discovered the information about Markofski the same way parents did -- through the media.
He said Markofski did not show up for work Monday morning as expected, and attempts were made to reach him at his Richmond home. Oest said he was told about Markofski's arrest on Tuesday by a news agency calling looking for comment.
He said the district launched an internal investigation.
"We spent time verifying the situation," he said.
Officials put information for parents on the district's Web site Wednesday morning. Also, Oest said the internal investigation is continuing and that Markofski will be arrested and charged with trespassing if he tries to return to the Spring Grove school.
"We never thought in a million years this would have happened," said board President Patty Anderson.
Markofski, 47, of 5713 Broadway St., Richmond, will remain jailed until his next court date, April 18, unless he posts his entire $5,000 bond as required under Wisconsin law.
Officially, Markofski was charged with two counts of exposing a child to harmful material and one count of sexual intercourse with a child aged 16 or older, according to documents filed by the Milwaukee County district attorney's office. Each exposing count comes with jail time of up to 3½ years, but the intercourse charge is only a misdemeanor charge and comes with a prison sentence of up to nine months.