MILWAUKEE — Patrick Conor Russell, a former teacher now facing federal charges in Florida for possessing and receiving child pornography, had a troubled history that dates back to at least 2019 in Ohio.
Previous Coverage: Former Milwaukee area teacher arrested on federal child porn charges
That year, Russell voluntarily surrendered his Ohio teaching license and agreed to never teach there again. In exchange, Ohio regulators ended an investigation into his behavior. Public records describe the conduct only as "conduct unbecoming."
Russell then moved to Wisconsin, where he taught and coached at several of the area's top Catholic schools for years.
That stretch ended in April 2023, when Catholic Memorial sent a letter to parents announcing Russell was "no longer employed." The letter described the reasons as "academic in nature" and stated "no students were harmed," but also barred him from campus and any school events.
Watch: Former teacher facing federal charges had history of misconduct before Wisconsin
Sarah Pearson, deputy director of Nate's Mission, said the dismissal and the lack of clarity around it raise serious concerns.
"You look at the way that he's unceremoniously left some of these schools and concerns that were raised, and you see — there's a point where someone could have done something," Pearson said.
"It's not a crime to move from school to school, but as you start peeling back the layers and finding out why a teacher like Russell moved so many times, you start to learn there were times someone could have intervened to prevent future harm," Pearson said.
Catholic Memorial's president confirmed the letter, but a request for an interview went unanswered.
After leaving Catholic Memorial, Russell was hired at Carmen High School, a public charter school in Milwaukee. In a statement, Carmen identified him as a former employee and said Russell has not been with the school since May 2024.
That same month, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction caught Russell in a lie. It denied his application for a Wisconsin teaching license, saying he provided inaccurate information — including failing to disclose his Ohio disciplinary history.
While all the schools contacted say no complaints or reports have been filed about Russell in Wisconsin, Pearson said his employment history alone should be enough to prompt a closer look.
Pearson is calling on law enforcement in Wisconsin to investigate Russell's time at multiple Catholic schools to determine if there is anything else the public needs to know.
"This is a massive violation of public safety, and that there are kids and young people in this part of the state and every other part of the country in which Russell has worked who were unnecessarily put at risk," Pearson said.
Anyone with information or concerns about abuse can contact the Wisconsin Department of Justice Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Tip Line at 1‑877‑222‑2620 or visit SupportSurvivorsWI.org. Survivors and advocates can also connect with Nate’s Mission, a Wisconsin‑based organization supporting survivors of clergy abuse, at natesmission.org.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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