A 23-year-old woman, identified as Amy Jones, allegedly posed as a substitute teacher at Rufus King International High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She taught two classes and made a series of racist, sexual, and offensive remarks to students before staff discovered she was not a teacher. According to a criminal complaint, Jones had visited the school about a week earlier and managed to get inside by blending in with students.
Jones reportedly asked students if they were gay or virgins and made other inappropriate remarks. She also swore at them, used racial slurs, and separated students according to race and gender. One 16-year-old student told investigators that Jones called another student "fat boy" and asked a female student whether she wanted to become a stripper or a prostitute. Jones also asked if anyone had a vape or marijuana because the class was boring and annoying.
Jones was able to enter the school by passing through the security screening alongside students. She approached a secretary and claimed she was a substitute teacher from the TalentBridge agency, which provides substitute teachers to the school. The secretary did not immediately challenge her claim, as several teachers had called in sick and seven substitute positions had been filled.
The school's principal, Doreen Badillo, reported that eight teachers had called in sick, leaving one classroom without a substitute. Jones was placed in that opening and eventually entered a classroom with a real teacher, who spent about 20 minutes helping set up materials before leaving. Investigators say Jones' behavior changed once she was alone with the students.
Students began recording Jones' behavior on their phones, and investigators later collected several videos from the classroom. The students eventually reported Jones to school staff, and she was escorted from the school before the third class began. Staff were able to identify her as a former Rufus King student, partly because she had left identifying documents behind.
When detectives interviewed Jones on September 30, she admitted that she had impersonated a teacher. She also acknowledged speaking to students about sex, describing the conversation as a "birds and the bees" talk. Jones told investigators that she was bored, hated kids, and wanted to "mess around." She was arrested five days after the incident at a mental-health facility in West Allis.
Jones is facing six felony charges, including impersonating a public employee and exposing a child to harmful descriptions. If convicted on all six counts, she could face a combined maximum sentence of 21 years in prison. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 20, and she was ordered not to contact Rufus King International High School or students named in the criminal complaint.
Key points
- Jones was not employed by Milwaukee Public Schools and had no training or experience as a teacher.
- The incident has raised questions about how Jones was able to get into the classroom in the first place.
- Jones' defense attorney claims she manages bipolar disorder and had experienced an acute manic episode after a delay in receiving her prescribed medication.
