Amidst Lead Crisis, State Reprimands MPS Facilities Director

The man in charge of overseeing facilities amid the lead crisis at Milwaukee Public Schools is being reprimanded by the state for misrepresenting himself after he didn’t renew his architect license.

Sean Kane, the senior director of facilities and management at the district, was fined $1,319 this week by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services for violating state law and misrepresenting himself as an architect after his license lapsed in 2020.

The reprimand comes as lead hazards have been found in at least seven schools in the district so far. Four MPS students have tested positive for lead poisoning in recent months.

Kane told reporters in February he believed the district was “moving in the right direction” to address the lead issue. That statement came when dangerous lead levels had been found at four MPS schools in the early stage of the investigation launched after the first children tested positive for lead poisoning.

Weeks later, three MPS schools are still temporarily closed as lead remediation continues. State inspectors also recently found children were allowed to return to classrooms at Fernwood Montessori School that were still contaminated with lead even after cleanup work.

A Wednesday statement from the district said MPS is “aware of the decision” from the state Department of Safety and Professional Services.

“In accordance with District policy and Federal and State law, the district does not comment on the circumstances of our individual staff members,” the statement said.

Some parents in the district have started a website and petition in response to the lead crisis, asking for more transparency from the district.

“It’s another piece of evidence that something’s not right, and further, I think, erodes confidence in his [Kane’s] ability to lead us through this very serious crisis,” said Kristen Payne, one of the organizers of that effort.

Payne is calling for Kane’s resignation.

“We are under no illusion that all of this rests on his shoulders. There’s lots of blame to go around here. But certainly, he is the senior director of that department, and so he really is in charge of oversight of the facilities,” Payne said.

During a press conference last week, Tyler Weber, the Milwaukee Health Department’s deputy commissioner for environmental health, was asked if he had confidence in Kane to address the lead crisis.

“That’s a personnel question for MPS,” Weber said.

A WPR reporter reached out to two MPS school board members on Wednesday, but both said they weren’t allowed to comment on personnel matters.

What the order says

The April 1 order from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services states Kane first registered as an architect with the state in 2001. That registration expired on Aug. 1, 2020.

Kane was appointed to his current position with the district in October 2021. One of the conditions of his appointment was that he be credentialed as either a “registered architect or professional engineer,” according to the order.

Since he’s been employed with the district, the order says his email signature and business cards read “RA” or “registered architect.”

The investigation into Kane’s status began after the state received a complaint July 26 alleging he didn’t have a current architect registration. Kane renewed his architect resignation five days later, according to the order.

The order states Kane violated state law by not “accurately representing his qualifications to his employer.” He must pay his $1,319 fine within 90 days.

The order says Kane, “maintains that his intent was not to misrepresent his qualifications, and that the expiration of his registration was an oversight, not an intentional lapse.”

MPS action plan still being worked on

A March 27 health department progress update letter sent to families and staff of the district said MPS submitted a “Lead Action Plan” to the department before its March 21 deadline. Weber said the department has a draft of the plan.

The plan will include details of how the district will inspect its properties and how lead remediation work will be done in the future. It could include a schedule of future inspections.

Meanwhile, Brenda Cassellius recently began her tenure as the new superintendent of the district.

There are 85 schools in the district built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned. Lead dust is often formed as lead paint chips and wears down, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Children younger than age 6 are “especially vulnerable to lead poisoning,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Lead poisoning can affect children’s mental and physical development.

MPS director overseeing facilities during lead crisis has been reprimanded by the state was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.