A sweeping federal civil rights lawsuit is putting the Oconto Falls School District under an unforgiving spotlight, with three former students accusing the district of tolerating a long-running pattern of grooming and sexual abuse by school staff over the last 15 to 20 years. The complaint names multiple current and former employees and asks a federal judge in Milwaukee for money damages and institutional reforms. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they want to force changes inside the district and encourage other survivors to come forward.
What the complaint says
The suit, filed March 11 in federal court in Milwaukee, alleges the district “allowed a climate to flourish” in which students were groomed and abused from about 2005 through 2025. It identifies three named plaintiffs and, according to the filing, points to as many as 19 victims and at least nine alleged perpetrators. As reported by the Wisconsin Law Journal, lead counsel says the case is aimed squarely at institutional failures and asks the court to order changes to district policies, staff training and reporting practices.
Accused staff and criminal cases
The complaint calls out several Oconto Falls employees by name, including Brynn Larsen and Gayle Gander, and also accuses another staff member, David Heisel, of grooming a student, according to local reporting. WBAY reports that Larsen pleaded no contest in 2021 and was sentenced to two years in prison for a sexual relationship with a student. Court records and coverage from the Oconto County Times Herald show that Gander was arrested in December 2025 and faces 11 felony counts. He waived a preliminary hearing, and an arraignment was scheduled for March 26.
District response and attorney remarks
The Oconto Falls School District issued a statement saying the specific allegations had already been reported and that the district took action, including cooperating with law enforcement, NBC 26 reported. Lead counsel Cass Casper said the lawsuit followed survivors finding each other on social media and described the case as a push for systemic change. “This kind of conduct must stop in our school systems,” Casper said, according to the Wisconsin Law Journal.
Why this matters now…