La Crosse School District staff member arrested on child sexual assault charges

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — A La Crosse School District staff member is facing multiple child sexual assault charges.

Superintendent Randy Nelson sent an e-mail to parents in the district Wednesday night saying part-time show choir co-director Dustin Bagstad was arrested earlier in the day.

Jail records show Bagstad is being held without bond on charges of second degree sexual assault of a child, repeated second degree sexual assault of the same child, and sexual assault of a student by school staff.

The district placed Bagstad on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

As part of that leave, he won’t be allowed to contact students in the district or access district property.

The district is asking anyone with additional information on the case to call police.

Here is the full notice sent to parents in the district:

November 29, 2017

Re: District part-time employee facing criminal charges

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We believe it is important to inform you of a situation impacting our school community. Dustin Bagstad, a part-time show choir co-director for the District, was arrested today and is facing criminal charges related to child sexual assault.

Upon learning of this situation, the District placed Mr. Bagstad on an administrative leave of absence pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. As part of this leave, he is to have no contact with District students and is not allowed to access District property.

We are continuing to cooperate with law enforcement officers and the District Attorney’s office regarding this case. We encourage individuals with information about this case to contact your local law enforcement agency.

As always, our school counselors and social workers are prepared to respond to and support our students, families, and staff with all available resources. If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, please direct them to our Director of Secondary Education, Stacey Everson at severson@lacrossesd.org. We hope you understand that we may not be able to share certain information about this matter.

We know that the most important responsibility we have in our District is always the safety and support of our students and staff, and we strive to provide an environment where all feel safe in our District.

We are thankful for the continued support of our families and our community.

Randy Nelson

Superintendent of Schools

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