Union Grove Union High School will be led on an interim basis by Principal Tom Blair while Superintendent Thomas Johnson is on unpaid leave, the district's board has announced.
Prosecutors charged Johnson, 51, with two counts of possession of child pornography in a criminal complaint filed Thursday, Nov. 5. The charges are allegations, and the case remains under investigation.
According to prosecutors, the investigation began after the Racine County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous letter on Oct. 22 alleging inappropriate text-message contact between Johnson and former students. Investigators later obtained a warrant covering Johnson's phones, and prosecutors allege two images found in that review amounted to child pornography.
A search warrant was carried out at Johnson's Kenosha home on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and he was booked into the Kenosha County Jail that morning. At his initial appearance on Nov. 5, a judge set cash bond at $250,000 and ordered Johnson to have no contact with minors and no social media. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12 at 10:30 a.m.
In a statement, the board said student and staff safety remains its highest priority, added mental health supports are available through the school counseling team, and the district is staying in close contact with law enforcement while the investigation continues.
