During public comment at the Fond du Lac School District meeting, Jim Hess identified himself as an investigative reporter with the Madison Capital Times and urged greater transparency and statewide tracking of alleged educator misconduct.

Hess said a Cap Times investigation "revealed that the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction looked into over 200 educators for misconduct and grooming between 2018 and 2023." He said the reporting showed some school districts charged high fees for records requests, citing Sheboygan at $17,000 and Janesville at $245,000 as examples discussed in his remarks. Hess said in some cases educators under investigation were allowed to resign or surrender licenses, which he said curtailed further inquiry.

"Currently, there is no statewide tracking of misconduct and grooming by teachers or educators that exist in Wisconsin, including at the State Department of Public Instruction," Hess said during his comment. He also said the reporting was supported by the Pulitzer Center and criticized state Superintendent Jill Underly for not attending an Oct. 23 hearing about the matter.

Hess framed his remarks as a call for more accessible information for parents and the public; he urged districts and the DPI to reduce barriers to records and to consider staff increases to support investigations. The board did not take any formal action on the issue during the meeting; Hess' remarks were made during the public comment period.

Proper names mentioned by the commenter include the Madison Capital Times and the Pulitzer Center; these are reported here as the speaker identified them.