A 14-year-old Milwaukee eighth grader is facing citations after police say she stabbed a teacher with a pencil at Thurston Woods Public School on Friday morning, putting a hole in the teacher’s clothing but causing no life-threatening injuries.
Milwaukee police cited the student for battery and disorderly conduct and say the incident unfolded after a fight among students at the school near 35th Street and Florist Avenue, as reported by WISN 12 News. According to officers, the pencil “caused a hole in the teacher's clothing,” and the teen was cited at the scene. Police did not describe any major injury to the teacher.
School Response and What Officials Said
School leaders quickly told families they were treating the episode as a serious safety incident. In a message to parents and guardians, the principal wrote, “This behavior is unacceptable. MPS has procedures for these type(s) of incidents and I want you to know that we take these matters seriously,” according to WISN 12 News.
Thurston Woods Campus is a K–8 neighborhood school. Milwaukee Public Schools says it follows district safety protocols when incidents occur, but the district did not immediately provide further detail beyond the message sent home to families.
Context: Recent Safety Controversies
The school has already been under a harsh spotlight over safety concerns this year. Parents filed a lawsuit this spring alleging a paraprofessional locked elementary students in a dark boiler room as punishment, according to TMJ4.
Separately, reporting by FOX6 Milwaukee detailed a 2024 case in which a student brought a gun to Thurston Woods and a former principal later faced charges tied to how that incident was handled.
Legal Context
Police issued the eighth grader citations for battery and disorderly conduct. Juvenile cases in Wisconsin are handled differently from adult criminal prosecutions. The state’s disorderly conduct statute is codified at Wis. Stat. § 947.01, and juvenile delinquency proceedings fall under Chapter 938 of state law.
Whether this case ends up in juvenile court, some form of diversion, or another resolution will depend on the specifics of the incident and local prosecutorial decisions.
Milwaukee police and school district officials did not immediately offer more information beyond what was shared with local reporters and families. This story will be updated if officials release additional details.
