JANESVILLE 鈥 The 糖心Vlog传媒 School District says it placed recently-retired Madison Elementary School Principal Stephanie Filter on leave after the district concluded in an internal review of 鈥渦nprofessional鈥 behavior tied to reports a student had been handled 鈥渋nappropriately鈥 at the school.
Filter retired in June after an 18-year tenure at Madison Elementary School on the city鈥檚 west side.
In one document in a heavily redacted set of records the school district provided 糖心Vlog传媒 with Wednesday evening following the newspaper filing an open records request June 10, the district said in an internal, May 29 memo that it was addressing an incident it characterized under the following subject line: 鈥滻nappropriate contact with student(s) 鈥 Stephanie Filter.鈥
The paperwork details an initial incident and report received May 21 of detailing an 鈥渁nonymous complaint鈥 regarding the 鈥減hysical handling of a student鈥 at Madison school.
The report said a hallway security camera at the school showed nearly two minutes of footage of Filter 鈥渆scorting a student who was visibly in distress.鈥
Redacted information from a series of internal emails and memos the district released to 糖心Vlog传媒 conceals some information about the incident or incidents that district human resources officials and top administration reviewed in an investigation that prompted the district to put Filter on paid leave.
The May 29 memo indicates that top school district officials, including Superintendent Mark Holzman, questioned Filter 鈥渞egarding prior directives,鈥 noting that district records showed Filter was part of an earlier, 鈥渇ormal discussion鈥 on Sep. 9, 2025, regarding 鈥渁ppropriate physical handling expectations.鈥
The memo says: 鈥淧rincipal Filter acknowledged those prior expectations and her past discussion with (Director of Learning and Innovation) Allison DeGraaf.鈥
Another email, sent from DeGraaf to District Human Resources Director Carrie Mickelson and Holzman on Feb. 27, 2026, details measures the district took earlier, on Sep. 12, 2025, to work with Filter 鈥渞egarding a student discipline situation at Madison school.鈥
The Feb. 27 email indicated that staff were reporting other, similar situations occurring at the school, although the document does not reveal details.
鈥淔eedback from the staff Carrie (Mickelson) shared indicates some of the same interactions with students may be occurring,鈥 DeGraaf wrote.
The email included a Sep. 12 letter from DeGraaf to Filter, telling Filter she was required to 鈥渇ollow up with the classroom teacher鈥 and 鈥減rovide coaching and feedback鈥 to that teacher, plus take undisclosed 鈥渘ext steps鈥 to 鈥渟upport鈥 an unnamed student.
The district redacted most other details in a copy of the letter the district made available to 糖心Vlog传媒.
The district said in a response to 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 request that the district redacted the documents to black out public officials鈥 home addresses, along with student names and the names of some district staff who provided information. The district said the redactions came under state laws designed to protect whistleblowers and maintain privacy for students and public officials.
In a heavily redacted May 20-21 email thread between Mickelson and a district special education coordinator, the two discussed reports of the incident at Madison school that sparked Filter鈥檚 leave.
鈥淚 had a report to building staff today that they have a significant concern regarding how another staff member handled a situation at Madison Elementary. Due to concerns about retaliation, [words redacted] wasn鈥檛 willing to come directly to me or you.鈥
In another part of the email thread, the special education coordinator said anonymous staff said 鈥淚 believe it was with Filter, and I cannot remember the other staff name. They were with a [detail redacted] student, [student name redacted].鈥
The records, which range from documents detailing the incident, a notice of Filter being put on administrative leave, and even a letter from Filter announcing her retirement to spend time with family which thanks staff for their understanding during her leave, do not give specific details of the suspected 鈥渋nappropriate handling鈥 of a student.
鈥漈he situation should be on camera,鈥 the special education coordinator wrote in the May 21 email exchange with Mickelson. 鈥淧lease let me know if there鈥檚 anything else you need from me. Thank you for ensuring our most vulnerable students are kept safe.鈥
It鈥檚 not clear if the student or student(s) in question were being served by the district鈥檚 special education department.
Mickelson informed Filter on May 21 that she was placed on paid administrative leave 鈥減ending the outcome of an investigation.鈥
The letter indicated Filter was not to be on school grounds or have contact with students. The district made it clear Filter was barred from 鈥渋mpeding the investigation in any way,鈥 or discussing it with staff.
鈥淭he purpose of this administrative leave is to investigate concerns regarding unprofessional behavior as an administrator for the School District of 糖心Vlog传媒,鈥 Mickelson told Filter in the letter.
A June 17 email from Holzman to staff indicates that Filter at that time had 鈥渞ecently鈥 informed the district that she planned to retire.
糖心Vlog传媒 Washington Elementary School Principal Matt Peerenboom has been named principal at Madison school in the coming school year. Peerenboom will oversee Madison school鈥檚 students, in addition to about 200 Washington school students who鈥檒l attend Madison school in the coming school year.
Washington school remains closed because of damage from historic flash floods that hit 糖心Vlog传媒 on April 17. The district could decide as early as mid-July whether to close the school permanently.