Pewaukee Bus Driver Thomas Felser Charged with Repeated Child Sexual Assault

Pewaukee, WI — 62-year-old Thomas Felser faces multiple charges for the alleged repeated sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl. Felser, a former educator and current school bus driver, allegedly assaulted the child over several months.

Thomas Felser: Trusted Figure in Education

Felser dedicated 37 years to teaching at Pewaukee High School and Asa Clark Middle School before retiring in 2020. He returned to the district as a summer school teacher in 2024. Felser was a school bus driver with Go Riteway, the transportation company contracted by the Pewaukee School District. His longstanding involvement in the educational system had earned him a position of trust within the community.

A manager at GO Riteway informed investigators that Thomas Felser was responsible for driving morning and afternoon routes. Felser drove for all four schools in the Pewaukee School District. She noted that Felser had never been the subject of a complaint before this incident. Even more alarming – Felser has no criminal history, raising questions about the potential of past unknown assaults.

She also noted that Felser exhibited an unusual pattern of never submitting disciplinary write-ups for student misbehavior—an expected part of a school bus driver’s responsibilities. This omission raised concern, as submitting such reports can trigger a review of onboard surveillance footage by Go Riteway. According to the criminal complaint, the manager questioned whether Felser intentionally avoided reporting student behavior to prevent triggering a review of the bus’s onboard video footage.

Discovery of Alleged Abuse

The allegations came to light when the child’s mother used a GPS tracking app to monitor her daughter’s bus route and noticed the bus had remained stationary for an unusual duration. Concerned, she located the bus and found her daughter alone with Felser, who quickly emerged from a seat in the middle of the bus, claiming they were merely talking.

GO Riteway Bus Company provided investigators with onboard surveillance footage that became a key piece of evidence in the case. On May 13, the video showed the school bus parked for an unusually long time with only Thomas Felser and the 6-year-old victim on board. In the footage, Felser is heard saying, “Can you help me check the back?” before calling the child to a seat near the middle of the bus—an area less visible to cameras. He is then seen hunched over, his head positioned closely to hers. According to the criminal complaint, the girl’s mother can be heard on the video.

Further investigation revealed a pattern of inappropriate behavior. Surveillance footage from the bus showed Felser repeatedly sitting closely with the girl in areas obscured from the camera’s view. In a forensic interview, the child disclosed that Felser had touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions, often giving her candy and instructing her to keep their interactions a secret.

Thomas Felser: Charges and Legal Proceedings

Felser has been charged with one count of repeated sexual assault of the same child and three counts of sexual misconduct by school staff or volunteer. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 70 years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Vivien Morris stated, “He used his position of authority and trust to routinely access and abuse the victim.” Felser appeared in Waukesha County Court, where his bond was set at $350,000. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 28.

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In response to the charges, the Pewaukee School District released a statement to families and staff on Friday, saying it was “devastated by the news of what is reported to have happened and stunned by the allegations of the incredible violation of community trust by an individual responsible for the safety and care of children.” Felser has been suspended from his position with Go Riteway.

Authorities encourage anyone with relevant information to contact the Village of Pewaukee Police Department.

Waukesha County Watch will follow up as more information becomes available.

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, help is available. Speak with someone today.

Connect at: https://rainn.org/ or call 1-800-656-4673