MUKWONAGO, Wis.—After more than a year of battling the Mukwonago Area School District (MASD) over transparency, local parent and Army veteran Ken Sallee has claimed victory in a legal battle against the Mukwonago Area School District (MASD) and Superintendent Joseph Koch. Sallee and MASD reached a settlement after the district withheld key records tied to allegations of misconduct by a former teacher. The case drew public scrutiny over transparency concerns and concluded when the district, after spending thousands in taxpayer funds to fight disclosure, agreed to release the concealed documents and cover legal costs.
Grooming Allegations Spark Two MASD Investigations
The case began in early 2024 when Sallee’s daughter reported that her teacher, Steven Telkamp, had touched her inappropriately and engaged in other behaviors that appeared consistent with grooming. Sallee and his wife reported the allegations to school administrators, prompting MASD to launch an internal investigation. The district also instructed Telkamp to avoid all contact with the student, yet permitted him to remain on campus throughout the investigation.
On March 22, 2024, MASD issued Telkamp a formal letter of reprimand. In the family’s opinion, it neglected to fully show the nature of the teacher’s actions felt and described by his daughter.
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Open in new tab Despite administration’s orders to avoid further contact with the student, Telkamp allegedly violated the directive. In response, MASD placed him on administrative leave on April 11, 2024. The district also initiated a second investigation focused on his alleged breach of the no-contact order.
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Troubling MASD Resignation Agreement
Rather than pursue formal discipline, MASD agreed to a seemingly quiet exit strategy. On May 3, 2024, the district and Telkamp signed a “Resignation Agreement and Release.” It guaranteed that all records of disciplinary action would be removed from his personnel file. The agreement further stipulated that if contacted by a prospective employer, MASD would share only limited information, unless “otherwise authorized by Employee”. The MASD School Board approved the resignation on May 13, 2024.
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The district never directly informed the family of the teacher’s departure. This left Sallee to believe the district had forced him out over the misconduct investigation. Sallee received limited information in a June 2024 records request. It wasn’t until months later when a Kenosha-based reporter submitted a public records request that additional information surfaced. But these documents still didn’t tell the full story. Sallee knew there was more.
Sallee Family Perception: MASD Blames Victim
To the best of the family’s knowledge, MASD never completed the second investigation or issued any formal report or disciplinary action. MASD Superintendent Joe Koch met with the family only once, during which he reviewed video footage of Sallee’s daughter working on a group class project in a Mukwonago High School common area. MASD Assistant Superintendent Rachel Hermann was also in attendance. According to Sallee and his wife, the meeting felt like an effort to shift blame onto their daughter and minimize her allegations. Koch and Hermann’s reasoning—she was seen sitting in a high school common area near the teacher’s classroom doing a group project.
They were disturbed by what they perceived as an effort to discredit their daughter. The family argued that she was simply doing her assigned classwork and obeying instructions of her teacher for that block. Telkamp’s classroom was several feet down the hallway from that common area. Additionally, her back was to the hallway and she was surrounded by several other students. The video did not show facial expressions, and there was no audio. According to Sallee and his wife, “She has a right to exist in school common areas. That video can’t tell the full story”.
“Our kids deserve to be heard. Women and girls especially deserve to be taken seriously when they report things like this. Do you know why women hesitate to report sexual assaults and misconduct? Because they likely had an adult not take them seriously at some point. Our kids deserve better than that.” – Ken Sallee
Misconduct Allegations Not Reported to Wisconsin DPI
Despite an active investigation into serious misconduct, MASD decided not to report the resignation to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)—a step likely required under Wisconsin Statute 115.31. Sallee inquired about this in a September 2024 email to Koch. Koch stated that the district did not report the resignation because “the District did not have any reasonable suspicion that his resignation related to his engagement in immoral conduct…”
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Teacher Finds New Employment, Neighboring District
In September 2024, Sallee learned that Telkamp had been hired by the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD). Concerned that they may have been left in the dark, he contacted KUSD directly. Sallee shared details about the allegations and investigations at MASD. During a phone call, Bradford High School Principal Jared Kotarak confirmed to Sallee that they had no information about prior investigations or disciplinary actions at MASD. Shortly after that call, KUSD submitted its own public records request to MASD as part of their own investigation.
In response, attorneys for Telkamp sent Sallee a cease-and-desist letter demanding he stop sharing details and retract his statements. Instead, Sallee forwarded the letter to KUSD administration, affirming the allegations and refusing to retract any statements.
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“I did not retract a single word. I immediately shared the letter with KUSD. People deserved to know the truth. I have never defamed anyone. Truth is not defamation.” – Ken Sallee
After learning of the allegations, KUSD placed Telkamp on leave and launched its own internal investigation. While KUSD ultimately chose to retain him as an employee after a lengthy investigation, they reassigned him to Kenosha eSchool—a virtual learning platform.
Sallee Files Writ of Mandamus Lawsuit
Frustrated by MASD’s lack of transparency, Sallee submitted multiple open records requests to MASD Superintendent Joe Koch between April and November 2024. When MASD failed to provide key documents directly to Sallee, he partnered with Kenosha-based journalist Kevin Mathewson to file a Writ of Mandamus in Waukesha County Circuit Court.
MASD Prominent Attorneys vs. pro se Ken Sallee
Sallee represented himself pro se in court, while MASD used taxpayer dollars to retain two attorneys from a prominent Waukesha law firm. The firm—widely regarded as one of Wisconsin’s top-rated agencies specializing in employment and school law—regularly represents large agencies across the state in complex legal matters.
According to public records released on April 21, 2025, the district spent thousands of dollars defending the case—only to ultimately release the very records in question as part of a negotiated settlement.
While not every line item in the expense report is directly tied to Sallee’s lawsuit, he estimates the district spent at least $10,000—potentially more—fighting to withhold public documents that should have been disclosed from the start.
NOTE: WCW staff heavily redacted this document to remove personal information related to unrelated cases included in MASD’s records release.
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“They fought me with public funds, but I stood on principle and the law. This case was about protecting ALL children and holding our public institutions accountable.” – Ken Sallee
MASD Settlement Reveals Troubling Details
The lawsuit ultimately forced MASD to release key documents they had previously withheld. Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel—a former Wisconsin Attorney General and Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate—presided over the case.
Before trial, MASD attempted to settle the case but insisted that Sallee agree to both a non-disclosure and non-disparagement clause—terms he flatly refused.
“I didn’t give 23 years of my life in the Army defending our constitution to have my 1st Amendment rights taken away by a school administration that I feel violated my child.” – Ken Sallee
The final settlement, reached without any non-disclosure or non-disparagement clauses, allowed the full story—from the initial allegations in March 2024 to the district’s eventual release of records—to come to light. It marked a turning point in the case, ensuring the public could finally understand the scope of what had occurred and how the district had handled it.
Sallee, a father advocating for transparency after his daughter’s mistreatment, stood firm throughout the process. “While I still believe my daughter didn’t get justice, at least now I have the truth. I have the records. That’s something.”
Broader Implications for MASD
The case underscored alarming inconsistencies in how records were handled and shared. Documents provided to Mathewson were not identical to those given to Sallee, nor did they match the records sent to KUSD. These discrepancies further raised questions about the district’s commitment to transparency and student safety.
Although the district did not admit any wrongdoing, Sallee considers the outcome a clear win for transparency and student safety. From the beginning, Sallee sought only two things: full disclosure of all relevant records and reimbursement of all legal fees. He chose not to ask for a penny more—despite having the legal right to pursue double damages and additional compensation.
“This case was not about money,” Sallee said. “It was about transparency and making sure something like this never happens to another MASD student. Our kids deserve better.”
Sallee also emphasized that his goal was to find transparency without the financial burden on local taxpayers. “There was no need for MASD to spend taxpayer dollars defending a lawsuit with a high-priced law firm,” he said. “All I asked for were public records that MASD was legally obligated to release. The fact that they were so willing to spend thousands fighting me in court instead of being transparent from the start is troubling. I fought two high-paid, high-powered attorneys, and won. That victory is not only for my daughter, but for all MASD students.”
MASD has not issued any public comment regarding the settlement or the cost of its legal defense.
Moving Forward: A New Chapter in Advocacy
After spending the better part of a year fighting for truth and accountability, Sallee isn’t slowing down. He took on MASD and their high-powered attorneys on his own—without legal counsel, institutional backing, or mainstream media support. Over the course of this case, Sallee reached out to multiple news organizations, including Fox 6, WISN 12, and TMJ4.
Sallee had spoken with all three news outlets after being interviewed for an unrelated story about MASD’s proposal to create a local ordinance allowing students to be ticketed for cell phone use in school. During a Village of Mukwonago board meeting in November 2024, Sallee shared his daughter’s experience while speaking in opposition to the ordinance. He explained that his daughter had used her phone to contact him on the very day she reported her teacher’s alleged misconduct—underscoring the importance of student access to communication in critical moments.
Each outlet spoke with Sallee and expressed interest in a full interview, but none ultimately followed through with coverage or aired his story. That silence, Sallee says, was its own form of betrayal. “The media had a chance to help uncover something important, and they dropped the ball,” Sallee said. “If they won’t hold public institutions accountable, someone has to.”
Waukesha County Watch: Because You Need to Know.
Frustrated but motivated, Sallee took matters into his own hands. He launched Waukesha County Watch, an independent platform dedicated to shining a light on local government, school systems, and public agencies across the county. With a growing base of support and a firm commitment to truth, Sallee plans to use the platform to demand transparency, expose misconduct, and ensure that no agency—especially MASD—operates above the law.
“I didn’t start this to become a journalist,” he said. “But this entire case inspired me to do so, because people deserve to know what’s happening in their own community. If no one else will ask the hard questions, I will.”
Sallee holds no grudges toward MASD, Superintendent Joe Koch, or Asst. Superintendent Rachel Hermann. His goal isn’t to dwell on the negative—nor to ignore it. This platform exists to tell the full story of our community, whether uplifting or uncomfortable. “Not all stories will be negative. Not all will be positive. But they will be factual,” Sallee says. “I’ll report what I find—good, bad, or indifferent. The content depends entirely on the actions of those being reported.”
While this story is now over, there is plenty more to talk about regarding MASD and Waukesha County. And Sallee plans to tell those stories for the foreseeable future. Accountability matters. And you need to know.
If you’ve encountered similar transparency issues in your school district, and want WCW to look into it, contact Waukesha County Watch.
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Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our community. Our families are lucky to have someone like you in our community.
Thank you… This should have never gone this far, but it’s also what motivated me to start Waukesha County Watch. I knew this was needed here. I appreciate all your encouragement behind the scenes as well!