McHenry County principal fired

Nippersink Elementary District 2 officials officially fired the principal accused of having a marijuana- and alcohol-laced sexual liaison with teenage girls in a Wisconsin motel room.

Superintendent Daniel Oest said the school board voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate Daniel Markofski's employment. Markofski was principal at Spring Grove Grade School since last fall.

The district named former Richmond Grade School assistant principal Lanny Young as interim principal at Spring Grove. Young will remain in that job through the end of the school year.

Oest said the search is on for a permanent replacement, and six people have applied.

"We moved as swiftly as possible in dealing with the employee matter according to legal and contractual rights," he said. "We are attempting to move on at this point."

Markofski has been released from the Milwaukee County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday.

Court documents state Markofski was arrested April 5 in Glendale, Wis., after being caught in a motel room with two girls, ages 15 and 16.

He 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.

Police say Markofski ordered a pornographic movie for the teens and gave them marijuana and alcohol.

Oest said there is still "no discovery of a criminal link" to any Spring Grove Grade School students.

Police will continue to be a presence at the school, he said. Locks have been changed, and Markofski's building keys have been secured. Markofski is banned from school grounds, and will be arrested if spotted there.

Since Markofski's legal problems began, he received a one-day suspension with pay. He was terminated or suspended without pay for the rest of the time, Oest said.

Markofski was not paid for the two days he sat in jail. District policy is employees are not paid if they do not show up to work or do not have a legitimate excuse, Oest said.