Former Sun Prairie West Principal Charged with Failure to Report Child Abuse

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – The former principal of Sun Prairie West High School is facing criminal charges after a former dean allegedly abused students. 

Arrest of former dean

Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier was a dean at Sun Prairie West High School. On the local level, he’s facing two charges of child exploitation, and 13 counts of possession of child pornography. He’s also charged on the federal level. 

Earlier this month, Gilkey-Meisegeier pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. In that case, he faces a possible sentence of at least 15 years in prison. 

When all this news broke, families were frustrated. Some parents even staged protests against the school district. 

Law firm’s investigation showed rumors surfaced for more than a year

The Sun Prairie Area School District hired law firm Crivello, Nichols & Hall to conduct an independent investigation into how the abuse claims were handled. Earlier this month, the district publicly released the law firm’s 23-page report. 

The report specifically details how then-principal Jennifer Ploeger was aware of rumors about Gilkey-Meisegeier having an inappropriate relationship with a student. The report states that this rumor first surfaced in the 2023-24 school year, and Ploeger was aware of it. 

According to the report, Ploeger even recommended a student be suspended in November 2024 for repeating the “rumor”. In an interview with the law firm, Ploeger reportedly said there wasn’t enough information to launch an investigation. The lawyers who wrote the report said “I did not find Ploeger to be credible in any respect.” 

In April 2025, the district got a now-infamous message through its web portal reporting Gilkey-Meisegeier for being inappropriate with a student. The report states it wasn’t until June 1, when more students came forward, that Gilkey-Meisegeier was placed on leave. He was ultimately terminated from his position on June 9, 2025.

Ploeger was later removed from her position as principal. 

Charges filed against the former principal

On Monday, January 26, the Dane County District Attorney’s office formally filed charges against Ploeger. She now faces three counts of failing to report child abuse. 

Under the law, teachers are mandated reporters. That means they’re supposed to report reasonable suspicions of child abuse to law enforcement or child protective services.  

Those charges are considered misdemeanors in class U, which serves as a catch-all for when crimes don’t fit the other categories of misdemeanor. 

The maximum penalty for each count is six months behind bars, and a $10,000 fine. Ploeger’s first court date is March 2.