A veteran teacher at an elementary school in Wisconsin pleaded guilty to child enticement and having a romantic relationship with a student, drawing one of the state’s ugliest recent teacher misbehavior cases to its eventual close. Madison Lynn Bergmann, aged 25, pleaded guilty to the charge in court on September 29, 2025, to having been having an inappropriate relationship with a boy aged 11 while teaching at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson.
Her sentencing will be on December 22, by which time she might spend the next 12 years in prison with the plea agreement a dramatic collapse of a one-time bright future teaching career to the confines of the St. Croix County Sheriff.
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He was retained as a teacher of the fifth grade in Hudson, a small town on the Wisconsin-Minnesota frontier. His parents referred to him as being active and keen, the same kind of youthful teacher they hoped to motivate students. That optimism took its first frays in May of 2024, when a mother caught an evening phone conversation between her son and Bergmann. Reviewing his texts, she discovered a set of messages that later were portrayed by prosecutors as “highly inappropriate and explicit.”
Investigators soon found even more. Court documents report that police uncovered close to 100 of handmade love letters and love notes and dozens of emails, which indicated the relationship turned obsessive. Screenshots revealed the frequent texts, and the boy testified that the kissing and fondling occurred during lunch breaks and after school.
Bergmann resigned from her position soon after her arrest in May 2024.
Initially, Bergmann was charged with ten felonies, such as first-degree child sodomy and using a computer to prepare a child sex crime. Those most serious counts were dismissed under a plea agreement, but they will remain “read in” at sentencing, meaning the judge can still consider them in weighing punishment.
Instead, Bergmann pleaded guilty to one Class D felony of child enticement and two Class I felonies of sexual misconduct by school staff. On paper, those crimes carry a maximum of 18 years in prison. The state has agreed to ask for no more than 12 years.
Judge R. Michael Waterman, after hearing her emotional plea, revoked her bond immediately.
“She has today admitted her guilt with regard to highly consequential offenses involving a very vulnerable victim,”
the judge said in court.
“Balancing all the factors, I think it is the most appropriate decision to remand her into custody.”
The scope of the evidence rattled parents and educators alike. Court documents describe “tens of thousands” of messages exchanged, though some of the highest figures cited in podcasts and tabloid outlets remain unverified. Investigators confirmed they recovered handwritten notes with the child’s name, including one that prosecutors said referenced the need to keep the relationship secret.
For many parents, hindsight has been painful. Some recalled Bergmann moving the boy’s desk next to hers and often keeping him after class.
“At the time, we thought he was being disciplined,”
One parent told CBS Minnesota.
“Now, knowing what was happening, it’s heartbreaking.”
The personal consequences for Bergmann extended beyond the law. Her fiancé reportedly ended their engagement soon after the allegations surfaced. In Hudson, a town where families know their children’s teachers by name, the betrayal has left deep scars. The district has faced questions about whether warning signs were missed, especially as another staff member, Abigail Faust, faced separate charges of misconduct around the same time.
On December 22, Bergmann will return to court for sentencing. Prosecutors will recommend up to 12 years in prison, though the judge has discretion. Victim impact statements and the pre-sentencing investigation report are expected to play a central role.
For Wisconsin and for parents and educators worldwide the case underscores the urgent need for vigilance and stronger safeguarding policies in schools. As Judge Waterman noted from the bench,
“This case involves a teacher convicted of crimes against a child a reminder of how fragile trust can be when those in positions of responsibility abuse it.”
