A 24-year-old elementary school teacher in Wisconsin was taken into custody on Wednesday for allegedly engaging in inappropriate behavior with a fifth-grade student. The arrest of Madison Bergmann occurred less than three months before her planned wedding.
The alleged misconduct was discovered when the 11-year-old boy’s mother overheard a phone conversation between her son and Bergmann. Subsequently, the boy’s parents discovered text messages between the two, leading the boy’s father to confront the school administration with printouts of the conversations.
The text messages reportedly revealed that Bergmann had discussed multiple instances of inappropriate contact with the student, which allegedly took place in the classroom during lunch or after school hours. The teacher is also accused of expressing enjoyment of the physical contact and inappropriate behavior with the child.
In addition to the text messages, police found a folder in Bergmann’s bag labeled with the student’s name. The folder contained numerous handwritten notes detailing their interactions. In one of the letters, Bergmann allegedly acknowledged the inappropriate nature of their relationship, expressing her need to act responsibly.
The duration of the alleged misconduct is unclear. However, Bergmann reportedly received the boy’s phone number from his mother in December, when the family invited the teacher, whom they believed to be a positive influence, to join them for a winter break trip. This was the same month Bergmann got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, according to her social media accounts.
When questioned by the police about the text exchanges, Bergmann chose to exercise her right to legal counsel. Following her arrest, the Hudson School District placed her on administrative leave and prohibited her from contacting any students, parents, or staff members.
Bergmann, who started teaching at River Crest Elementary in 2022, is now facing a charge of first-degree child sexual assault. She was released on a $25,000 signature bond.