GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A woman who had sex with a student she met while working at a high school was sentenced Friday to six months in jail, with the judge calling her “the nightmare of every parent.”
Courtney Roznowski, 32, pleaded no contest to one count of exposing intimate parts to a child.
Previously, the three most serious charges — sexual assault of a student by a staff member — were dropped because she was not under contract to the Green Bay School District when she had sex with the student she met while working at Southwest High School.
Roznowski was also placed on probation for three years by Judge Donald Zuidmulder. He also ordered Roznowski to write an apology letter to the staff at Southwest High School, and one to every superintendent in the county because of the damage she caused to the profession. She also cannot work anywhere with minors, and must maintain sobriety.
Roznowski said she has turned her life around since she stopped drinking.
“I accept responsibility for what I did, and I know what I did was wrong,” she said. “While I did not initiate the relationship, I should have put an end to it once I realized that the messages being sent to me were from a student at the school Please have it in your heart to see the good in me. Have me keep working, have me keep seeing my counselor, have me be around my family daily. Overall, I hope my actions for the last 13 months have shown you how serious I have and will continue to take this.”
Zuidmulder then addressed her conduct.
“I have to share with you how appalling it is. Because opportunity is created because the people of this state require mandatory public education; they require their kids to go to school. You are, frankly, the nightmare of every parent. Because what a parent assumes is that their child is in safe environment with trusting people. But I have to tell you I am unimpressed by your comments about ‘a good heart.’ You drove over there. It doesn’t have anything to with the heart,” Zuidmulder said.
Zuidmulder also directed her to turn around and look at her parents, who were sitting in the gallery.
“Here’s what I want to tell you, Miss Roznowski: You’ve broken their hearts. And whatever punishment I impose on you, I assume that the humiliation and embarrassment you’ve caused your mother and father is more punishment that you will carry than what I could impose on you,” the judge said.
If the charges of sexual assault by a staff member had stood, Zuidmulder said she likely would have received a prison sentence — but he can’t sentence her for a crime she didn’t commit.
The teen admitted to the sexual contact, at one point telling police, “Well, it is every kid’s dream to do a teacher,” the complaint states.
