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Parent urges review of hockey suspensions during Verona Area School District public comment
Summary
A parent told the board they view a recent varsity hockey suspension as inconsistent with discipline applied elsewhere and said their child was suspended for part of the season after their name 'came up'; the parent asked the district to take the complaint seriously and offered to continue the discussion offline.
During public comment the board heard from Kilby Willenberg, who raised concerns about a varsity hockey suspension affecting their child. Willenberg said the student lost 50% of the season after the student's name "came up" in connection with a team tradition and argued the punishment did not match disciplinary outcomes in other programs.
"To throw the book at 5 kids, my kid being 1 of them, and the reason that he was suspended ... is because his name came up," the commenter said, and described community outrage and media attention. Willenberg urged the district to review consistency in discipline and to take the family’s concerns seriously; the speaker offered to continue the conversation offline and emphasized sensitivity to involved students.
Board members acknowledged the sensitivity of personnel and student privacy and invited the commenter to provide details outside public comment for staff and legal review. The board noted they could not discuss confidential student information in public but said they would accept general concerns and follow district procedures.
