MILWAUKEE − A D.C. Everest staff member made an initial appearance Oct. 28 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on charges that include the sexual assault of a Greenfield student in 2024.
Bennet P. Schmitz, 23, of Schofield, faces charges of child enticement, sexual assault of a student by school staff and exposing genitals. Schmitz is a staff member at Greenheck Turner Community Center, according to a letter sent to school families by D.C. Everest School Superintendent Casey Nye.
When D.C. Everest School administration learned Greenfield police had arrested Schmitz, they took appropriate action to ensure student safety, Nye said in his letter. The school locked all of his electronic equipment, disabled his key card access and placed him on leave. The school administration directed Schmitz to stay off school district property.
The letter states the criminal charges are not related to any member of the D.C. Everest community. Schmitz is not a licensed educator and did not serve in a teaching role for the district. On Oct. 20, the Greenfield Police Department arrested Schmitz in Schofield, according to a Greenfield Police Department news release.
Schmitz served as an assistant track coach at Greenfield High School during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 spring track seasons, according to the news release. Recently a former student shared concerns with a staff member regarding an inappropriate relationship the former student said occurred with Schmitz. The school notified the Greenfield Police Department.
Schmitz was charged on Oct. 23. On Oct. 24, he posted a $20,000 cash bail. If convicted, Schmitz faces a maximum sentence of 23 years in prison.
Contact Karen Madden kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: D.C. Everest staff member on leave after sexual assault charges filed in Milwaukee
Reporting by Karen Madden, Wausau Daily Herald / Wausau Daily Herald
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