Gun at MPS school; principal accused of misconduct, obstruction
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee Public Schools principal is accused of violating school district policy – and lying to police – about a gun that was brought into his school in February.
Dennis Daniels, 52, was charged in May with misconduct in public office and obstructing an officer. A newly unsealed search warrant sheds light on what took place at Thurston Woods School, which serves K-8 students.
Ten days after the gun was recovered, court filings show Daniels was told not to report to work. District records show he was later recommended for reassignment to Clarke Street School.
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Daniels is not currently listed in the school district's directory. A spokesperson would not give MPS more details, citing personnel matters, but did say MPS contacted police and notified parents once the district learned of the incident.
Daniels pleaded not guilty and was bound over for trial in June, court records show. He is out of custody on a $1,000 signature bond and due back in court next month. His attorney is not commenting on the case at this time.
MPS Thurston Woods School
Gun at school
Prosecutors said Daniels was principal at the school near 35th and Florist when, on Feb. 15, a student brought a gun to school.
According to a criminal complaint, state law mandates Daniels to report any "instance of school violence where there is a serious and imminent threat to the health and safety of a student." Prosecutors said the student who brought the gun to school pointed it at another student and pulled the trigger; the gun did not go off.
Milwaukee Police District 4
Daniels received the gun and learned of the incident in his capacity as principal, but prosecutors said he did not contact police and did not "discipline the student in any ways." When he went to the police station the next day, the complaint states he lied about how the gun was recovered.
According to the complaint, MPS policy "expressly prohibits" guns on school property. It also states students who have guns on school property "shall be immediately suspended and the police called." The policy also recommends expulsion.
Prosecutors said Daniels violated the school district's policies in his capacity as a public employee.
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
The complaint states Daniels went to Milwaukee Police District 4 on Feb. 16, the morning after the gun was recovered. He handed the gun to an officer and said he had found it in a bush on the school property – which was later determined to be false.
More than a week after the gun was turned in, the complaint states an MPS regional superintendent – Daniels' boss – contacted police about the gun. The superintendent told police that the gun had been pointed at another student, and they were trying to determine if it was a real weapon. Officers informed the superintendent that Daniels never reported the gun was used in a crime of that nature.
Students, staff interviewed
The complaint states police later interviewed two Thurston Woods School students, both of whom identified the same individual as having a gun at school on Feb. 15. The students said they saw the gun pointed at a student's head, and one of the two said they told Daniels "the entire story" of what happened.
Police ultimately interviewed the student who had the gun. That student told police, per the complaint, that they found the gun at a family member's house "a day or two" before the incident. The student identified the gun they brought to school as the one Daniels turned in. The student also admitted to pointing the gun at another student, but said it was a joke. When the student learned a teacher was told about the gun, the student said they hid the gun.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
A teacher said several students got into a fight, one of whom was suspended, on Feb. 22. One of those students was suspended and said it "was not fair" that they were suspended when the student who brought the gun to school was not. The student involved in the fight said the student who brought the gun to school was "bragging" that "nothing happened" and that they'd "bring another one to school."
The student who brought the gun to school was later expelled.
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Police spoke to the teacher who ultimately found the gun and brought it to Daniels. Per the complaint, the teacher said Daniels said he would "do an investigation and handle the situation."
An MPS leadership director was at the school due to a fight the day before the gun was found, per the complaint. The director was also there on Feb. 15 "to ensure safety" – and said at no point that day did Daniels inform them that a gun was found in the school.