Former Wisconsin 5th grade teacher, accused of inappropriate relationship with student, pleads guilty
A former teacher at a western Wisconsin elementary school pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an inappropriate relationship she had with a student.
On Monday, Madison Bergmann, of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual misconduct and one count of child enticement, according to court documents.
The court accepted Bergmann's plea and dismissed all other charges against the 25-year-old. Her sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 22.
Bergmann resigned from her position as a fifth-grade teacher at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin, in May last year after the 11-year-old victim's parents, and subsequently law enforcement, discovered concerning texts between the two. The victim had been a student of Bergmann's.
Charges say officers were presented with screenshots of multiple text conversations between the victim and Bergmann talking about their encounters, which allegedly occurred inside the classroom during lunch or after school.
Inside Bergmann's backpack, an officer reported they found a folder with the victim's name on it containing handwritten notes. Many of the letters allegedly talked about the two kissing each other.
In one of the letters, Bergmann wrote, "One of my cousins is in the 5th grade and I can't imagine a man talking to her how we talk. I know we have a special relationship and I do love you more than anyone in the world but I have to be the adult here and stop," charges say.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
