Bluff View principal on paid leave pending investigation

By Ted Pennekamp

Bluff View Principal Aaron Amundson is on non-disciplinary paid leave pending the conclusion of an investigation of a personnel matter, said Prairie du Chien District Administrator Robert Smudde regarding an incident at the school that occurred on March 21.

“Given the confidentiality of personnel matters in the district, it is inappropriate for me to comment further at this time,” said Smudde Monday morning.

When asked on Friday if the incident involved a boy in school accidentally getting burned in an effort to remove profanity from the boy’s hand, Smudde said that the district would need to contact its attorney in order to find out what the district could say about the matter. 

Smudde said on Monday morning that he did not know if the student was taken to  Crossing Rivers Health.

Lieutenant Terry Sprosty, speaking on behalf of the Prairie du Chien Police Department, said on Monday morning that the department will neither confirm nor deny whether or not the department was called to, or responded to, the Crossing Rivers Health emergency room on or about March 21, regarding a Bluff View student who had a burn on his hand that occurred at school.

“We can't say anything now due to an open criminal investigation,” said Sprosty.

The last time Amundson was placed on leave was following an incident on Dec. 23, 2014, when he was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave for two days and another five days of unpaid disciplinary leave for using “highly unacceptable language” toward students.