The Green Bay Press-Gazette found that, instead of conducting a thorough inquiry into the allegation, the Green Bay School District botched an investigation and kept Villareal in the classroom — until another girl came forward four years later.
Experts say these missteps included asking the child to recount what happened in front of Villareal and closing the investigation without interviewing other students.
The Press-Gazette also found gaps in the county’s child welfare system and state reporting laws that kept the extent of Villareal’s abuse in the dark.
Because Brown County Child Protection Services failed to notify police about the girl’s allegation, police didn’t investigate her complaint at the time.
A loophole in state law also meant the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, which had the power to conduct its own investigation and revoke Villareal’s teaching license, wasn’t notified.