Teacher arrested for ‘making out’ with 11-year-old boy at school ‘moved his desk closer so she could rub his legs’ in class
The Wisconsin teacher accused of preying on an 11-year-old student allegedly moved his desk out of sight so she could rub his legs during class.
Madison Bergmann, 24, was charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 after the victim’s father reported her to River Crest Elementary School administrators and police.
The fifth-grader told investigators that Bergmann would rub his thighs and calves during independent reading time, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in St. Croix District Court.
Because of the position of his desk in her classroom, the boy “didn’t believe any of the other children would see it happen,” the complaint said.
The pre-teen told police that Bergmann kissed him several times in her classroom, either after school or while the other students were eating lunch.
Madison Bergmann, 24, faces one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13. She is accused of abusing a student in her fifth grade class
Bergmann, pictured with her fiancé, is said to rub the victim’s thighs and calves while reading independently
The boy told police that because of the position of his desk in Bergmann’s classroom at River Crest Elementary School, he did not believe other students could see the abuse.
The alarm was raised on April 29 when the boy’s mother heard a telephone conversation between Bergmann and the victim. His father confiscated his phone and discovered sexually charged text messages.
In one text, Bergmann told the boy she “just wanted to grab (his) face and push (him) to the ground and make out with (him),” according to the complaint.
In another text she allegedly wrote: “I almost kissed you today when you were on the floor, but I was distracted by your stomach.”
The complaint shows that the child’s father contacted police and provided copies of the text messages.
Bergmann was no stranger to the victim’s family, as they had gone on a ski trip together during winter break in 2023.
She told police she was given the boy’s cell phone number at the time “in case they somehow got separated in the ski hills,” and claimed he called her several times “for no specific reason.”
When police asked about the text messages, Bergmann “asserted her right to an attorney and stopped the interrogation,” the complaint said. She was subsequently arrested.
The 11-year-old’s father discovered text messages between the teacher and his son, in which Bergmann said she “just wanted to grab (his) face and push (him) to the ground and kiss (him)”
The 24-year-old got the boy’s cell phone number when she accompanied his family on a ski trip during the 2023 winter break
Bergmann was due to marry her fiancé Sam Hickman in July, but the wedding has been postponed and their registry has been taken offline
Investigators searched her backpack and discovered a folder with the victim’s name on it, which contained several handwritten letters.
“In her notes, she tells him that she loves him, wants to kiss him, that he turns her on and that she is obsessed with him,” the complaint states.
In a letter, Bergmann reportedly wrote: ‘One of my cousins is in the fifth grade and I can’t imagine a man talking to her the way we talk. I know we have a special relationship and I love you more than anyone in the world, but I have to be the adult here and stop.”
Police also spoke with the little boy, who “made comments that he really liked her, trusted her, felt weird but also liked it,” the complaint said.
Following Bergmann’s arrest, Hudson School District Superintendent Nick Oullette released a statement to the families.
‘No superintendent can ever imagine standing in front of a group of parents with this news. As a leader of this school community, as a parent, this is heartbreaking,” he wrote. “I want you to know that the School District is taking this very seriously. We care about each of you and your children.”
He urged parents to be patient and “please understand that there are things we simply cannot say as the investigation is ongoing.”
The district also shared a timeline with parents of fifth-graders detailing how the administration responded when notified of the allegations on May 1.
Around noon, the district learned that a parent was concerned about Bergmann’s behavior. She was removed from the classroom at 12:37 p.m., with the district contacting police about ten minutes later.
Bergmann was taken into custody the same day. By the end of the week, she had been placed on unpaid administrative leave.
The 24-year-old appeared in court and was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond ahead of a May 30 court hearing.
Under the terms of her release, Bergmann is not allowed to have contact with anyone under the age of 18. She has been banned from school grounds and must wear an electronic monitoring device.
Bergmann, originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, has taught at River View since August 2022 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin River Falls.
The 24-year-old was due to marry her fiancé Sam Hickman in July, but the wedding has been postponed indefinitely. The couple’s register was also taken offline.
Hickman works on the floor at Little Free Library, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization in charge volunteer-run book exchange boxes. His LinkedIn page was removed due to the fallout surrounding his bride-to-be.
Two ‘According to the district, experienced substitute teachers will manage Bergmann’s classroom for the remainder of the school year.
Hudson Schools is also conducting its own investigation to determine whether any action should be taken regarding employee discipline and whether district policies should be evaluated or changed.