Wisconsin teacher charged with abusing student, sparking outrage

The abuse of the 11-year-old might have continued unnoticed if the child's mother hadn't overheard a troubling phone conversation between her son and Bergmann. They were discussing their inappropriate relationship.

Alarmed, the parents checked the boy's phone and discovered incriminating text messages. The texts, sent by 24-year-old Madison Bergmann, detailed meetings with the student in the classroom either during lunch or after school. Bergmann wrote about how much she enjoyed kissing and touching the 11-year-old. Enraged, the boy’s father went to the school where Bergmann worked, armed with prints of the text exchanges between her and his son.

Upon Madison's arrest, the police found a folder in her bag labelled with the victim's name, full of handwritten notes about their meetings.

One note from Bergmann to the student read, “One of my cousins is in the fifth grade, and I can’t imagine a man talking to her the way we talk to each other. I know we have a special relationship and I really love you more than anyone in the world, but I'll stop there for now."

Investigators are trying to determine how long the boy was exploited. Bergmann told the police she had received the child’s phone number from his mother in December 2023, when his family invited her on a skiing trip. That same month, she became engaged to her long-term boyfriend. According to social media, the wedding was planned for July of that year.

Madison left jail after posting a bail of $25,000 (approx. £19,000). She’s been placed on administrative leave and is forbidden from contacting any students, school staff, or parents. She faces a charge of first-degree sexual assault.