State agency acting unlawfully, enforcing illegally adopted policy to his detriment and potentially hundreds of other Wisconsin law enforcement officers

4.10.24

The News: Today, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a Petition for Judicial Review in Burnett County Circuit Court to appeal the decision of the Law Enforcement Standards Board that has denied WILL client, Noah Gausman, the ability to continue serving as a law enforcement officer.

What happened: Noah Gausman is a single father raising his son, and he supports himself and his son by working part-time as a law enforcement officer at various agencies in Northwest Wisconsin. Law enforcement officers (whether working full-time or part-time) used to have three years to regain employment after leaving a law enforcement job before they had to go back to school and complete the police academy again.

Unbeknownst to Mr. Gausman, a few years ago a state agency decided to unilaterally adopt a new policy which only allows full-time and not part-time officers like Mr. Gausman the ability to find new employment within three years. As a result, the state agency informed Mr. Gausman that because of this policy he was no longer able to serve as a law enforcement officer in Wisconsin and had to complete a 720-hour police academy.

Mr. Gausman went through the administrative appeal process and the agency denied all of his appeal requests. Today, he brought that appeal in the circuit court where a Judge will get to weigh in.

The Quotes: WILL Deputy Counsel, Lucas Vebber said, “Noah is a dedicated public servant and a hard-working father who is just trying to support his family and keep our Wisconsin communities safer. But bureaucrats in Madison have decided to flex their ‘muscle’ and deny him the opportunity to work. WILL attorneys continually stand by everyday Wisconsinites who are forced to go up against the full weight and power of state government, and it is an honor to fight for Noah’s rights and livelihood.”

WILL Client, Noah Gausman, remarked, “Being in law enforcement is my calling and has always been my dream. I have served honorably for years without incident, and want to continue to do so going forward, but starting over from the beginning is simply not an option for me. I am grateful to the team at WILL for their help and fighting back on my behalf.”

Next Steps: The Circuit Court will now get to review the agency’s record and come to its own conclusion as to whether the state agency followed the law and came to a correct conclusion.

Petition for Judicial Review, April 2024