Sub teacher who re-enacted George Floyd's murder identified as Wisconsin police officer
The substitute teacher who used a Woodbury student to replicate the police killing of George Floyd has been identified as a Wisconsin police officer who has since been placed on leave.
Steven Dwight Williams, 48, has been banned from South Washington County Schools due to a series of inappropriate comments and actions as he substituted in four English classes at Woodbury High School on Monday.
According to Woodbury High School, this included making sexist and racist comments, bragging about how cops could make the best criminals, claiming that police brutality doesn't exist, and using a student to re-enact how George Floyd was pinned down to the ground when he was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Prescott Police Department in Wisconsin has since confirmed that Williams has been a patrol officer for the past two years and before that served for years in law enforcement in Wisconsin and Montana. The department says he has been placed on administrative leave following the incident.
"Based on the information received from the school district and the active investigation by the Woodbury Police Department, the officer in question has been put on administrative leave," Prescott police said.
"Mr. Williams was not serving in any official capacity as a police officer for the City of Prescott when the alleged actions occurred. The City of Prescott and Prescott Police Department find the current allegations, if true, made against Mr. Williams to be disturbing and reprehensible, and we in no way condone his actions."
Video footage taken by a student captures the moment Williams was re-enacting how George Floyd was pinned to the ground when he died, showing his knee on the back of a student's neck while other students look on, audibly shocked.
South Washington County Schools spokesperson Shawn Hogendorf said that it was the first time Williams had substituted at Woodbury High School, but that he has subbed at other schools in the district at least seven different times since March this year, including at Woodbury Middle School.
After school administrators were made aware of Williams' full conduct on Monday, they sent a follow-up email to parents, apologizing for the incident and assuring them that both Woodbury police were involved and that a full report had been sent to the Minnesota Department of Education and PELSB (educator licensing department).
"The reported actions are not, and will not, be tolerated at Woodbury High School or in South Washington County Schools," Wagner said. "We are partnering with Teachers on Call, our substitute contracted vendor, to ensure that this person is removed from the Teachers on Call substitute list and will never be allowed to fill any vacancies in our school district."
Teachers on Call confirmed with Bring Me The News in a statement that Williams is no longer an employee of Teachers on Call, saying his actions were "unacceptable."
"Our substitute educators undergo a rigorous screening process that is fully compliant with Minnesota Department of Education standards and includes screenings that go beyond state requirements. This includes comprehensive background and fingerprint checks, which include searches of local, state, and national criminal records," The statement read. "The substitute educator involved in the reported misconduct passed all required background screens before being placed on assignment."
The Woodbury Police Department confirmed they will investigate the incident further and are "disturbed" by what occurred.
Bring Me The News has attempted to contact Williams for a statement but has not heard back.
