KEWASKUM — Records show the Kewaskum village president is recommending that its police chief be fired over a recent hire.
TMJ4 obtained documents that break down what’s at the center of this controversy. A letter from the Kewaskum Village Board claims that Chief Thomas Bishop and a lieutenant failed to conduct a thorough background check on an applicant who was fired by a previous employer for alleged misconduct.
Bishop's attorney insists that’s not true.
Bishop is still leading the Kewaskum Police Department, but his job is now on the line after the village president got a tip about someone he hired.
"Had it not been for this being brought to my attention, I would have never known about the officer in question," Kewaskum Village President Michael Martin said.
The Kewaskum sergeant in question is Jeremy Haske. Documents show he was fired from a Juneau County law enforcement agency, where he faced allegations of improper handling of evidence, an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 17-year-old in 2000, and lying under oath.
Martin’s letter to Bishop acknowledges that Haske “claimed that the charges brought against him were politically motivated.”
"Chief Bishop did not advise the Police and Fire Commission that the applicant was, in fact, terminated by his department in 2010 on substantiated disciplinary charges," the letter alleges.
Watch: Kewaskum village president recommends police chief be fired over a recent hire
Martin's letter to the chief also informed him that an external investigation by the West Bend Police Department found the background check did not adhere to department policy.
"A reasonable hiring decision would have been to not hire this individual to be a police officer in Kewaskum and also to not put that person in charge of internet crimes against children," Martin said.
Haske, who remains on paid administrative leave, responded in a statement that reads in part: "At the time of my application, I fully and accurately disclosed the circumstances surrounding my prior employment," Haske said.
Bishop declined my interview requests through his attorney. TMJ4’s Ben Jordan showed up at a recent Police and Fire Commission hearing Bishop attended to ask him questions.
"Not right now. It would not be wise for me to speak on it. The hearing will tell what happened," Bishop said. "You know I can't talk about it right now, Ben, but I appreciate you being here," Bishop said.
Wisconsin's Department of Justice tracks officers who have been fired for cause, quit during an investigation, or resigned in lieu of termination. It is called the flagged officer list, and it is intended to alert agencies of potential hiring risks.
Haske is not on the latest list TMJ4 obtained last summer, but it does show Kewaskum hired two other flagged officers within the last two years. DOJ records show one was fired by their previous employer, and another resigned in lieu of termination. Martin said he had no clue.
"Hearing that from you without having seen it, yes, it does concern me very much so. This is the first that I'm hearing of that," Martin said.
Martin followed up after the interview to share that the two ‘flagged officers’ hired by Kewaskum are no longer with the department.
Regardless of the Police and Fire Commission's upcoming decision on Bishop's future at a public hearing in the coming weeks, Martin expects the outcome to include better hiring practices.
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