'I thought it was a homeless person:' Wisconsin teacher admits to defecating in park for 2 years

Jeffrey Churchwell

TOWN OF WHITEWATER -- A high school English teacher admits to repeatedly defecating in a public park. FOX6 News was there -- as the same man returned to Whitewater to the same park.

FOX6 News found Jeffrey Churchwell preparing to leave Natureland Park in Whitewater, Thursday.

The longtime Milton School District teacher had nothing to say about the disturbing and disgusting behavior he's accused of -- requesting privacy before getting into his car and driving away.

Natureland Park is the same park he's accused of defecating in for more than two years. The Walworth County Public Works Department had to sometimes clean up his mess five days a week -- multiple times a day.

Richard Hough

"It required us to go out there and check on things daily," says Richard Hough, the Walworth County public works director. "It was taking up precious time and resources to go and clean up unnecessary human waste."

The feces was found in the open. The problem got so bad, the department installed a trail camera to catch the culprit -- eventually gathering images of Churchwell and his car.

"That gave us enough information that we shared it with the Sheriff's Department," Hough says.

Natureland Park

When confronted by authorities, Churchwell reportedly said he did it for convenience and to be disrespectful. In the same parking lot where FOX6 News ran into him, there is a working public restroom.

Tyler Freund

"When I was first told about it, I thought it was a homeless person that didn't have anywhere to go," says park-goer Tyler Freund. "Teachers are the people that are supposed to be giving our kids an education, not using our parks as a bathroom."

Authorities say Churchwell agreed to pay a fine of over $6,000.

The Milton School District says Churchwell is on leave and is set to retire Jan. 16.

Jeffrey Churchwell