MADISON - Two-and-a-half years after he resigned as Monroe High School athletic director over concerns about "performance issues related to the supervision of athletic program revenues" and paid the school district $6,390 as part of a separation agreement, Dave Hirsbrunner has settled the felony theft case against him.
Hirsbrunner, 49, formerly of Monroe, pleaded no contest Monday before a Dane County judge to Class I felony charges of theft and fraud-related misconduct in public office, with two additional felony counts of office fraud dismissed but "read in," meaning the judge could consider them at sentencing.
Hirsbrunner entered a 30-month deferred prosecution agreement with conditions that he "avoid all conduct which is prohibited by the criminal statutes of the State of Wisconsin," notify the court of any change of address and one month before the agreement ends, complete a final interview to discuss his record.
If he complies with the agreement, the prosecutor will ask the court to fully dismiss all charges.
The Green County case, filed in June after former district administrator Cory Hirsbrunner, his wife, left her position, alleges that the former athletic director embezzled thousands of dollars from ticket sales at school sporting events in 2014 and 2015 and falsified receipts to cover up the theft.
Ron Olson, business administrator for the district, told an investigator he found nearly $5,000 of discrepancies between gate fees and the money Hirsbrunner deposited since he was hired.
The case was outsourced to Dane County Judge Ellen Berz and Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson due to local conflicts of interest. A Stoughton Police Department detective investigated it.
Hirsbrunner's deferred prosecution agreement was reached at a status conference in the case on Monday in Madison. Hirsbrunner and his attorney Jonas Bednarek appeared in court, while Nelson appeared by phone. Nelson did not return a call for comment.
Bednarek also did not return a call for comment. A representative at his law office in Madison said he doesn't, as a rule, comment on cases.
Rick Waski, district administrator for the School District of Monroe since July, said Thursday that "we haven't seen any court documents from Monday's proceedings" but Nelson had shared information on the case with the district earlier in the process.
"In the eyes of the school district, this matter has been resolved," Waski said, referencing a separation agreement Hirsbrunner signed with the district in November 2015.
That agreement, a public document, stipulated that Hirsbrunner voluntarily resign on Nov. 30, 2015, and pay the district $6,390. Waski said Hirsbrunner fulfilled this payment to the district in November 2015.
Hirsbrunner had been on paid leave from his position since Nov. 6, 2015, while the district "reviewed certain performance issues related to the supervision of athletic program revenues," according to the agreement.
The agreement ended his contract as a teacher, district athletic director and coach. It was due to expire in June 2016.
Other stipulations of the agreement included reporting Hirsbrunner to law enforcement. In the documents, it was specified that the school board "believes it must report the circumstances underlying this agreement," and Hirsbrunner and the board agreed at the time to contact the district attorney together within 10 days to "satisfy this report."
The agreement further stipulated that "Hirsbrunner understands that (the school board) intends to fully cooperate in all respects with the District Attorney and with any law enforcement agencies as directed by the District Attorney."
Hirsbrunner and the district agreed that the separation agreement would not be included in his personnel file, but his resignation would be included.
Hirsbrunner now lives in Waunakee, according to court records. After she left Monroe at the end of the 2016-17 school year, Cory Hirsbrunner was hired as Director of Elementary Education in the Stevens Point Area Public School District.
Hirsbrunner, 49, formerly of Monroe, pleaded no contest Monday before a Dane County judge to Class I felony charges of theft and fraud-related misconduct in public office, with two additional felony counts of office fraud dismissed but "read in," meaning the judge could consider them at sentencing.
Hirsbrunner entered a 30-month deferred prosecution agreement with conditions that he "avoid all conduct which is prohibited by the criminal statutes of the State of Wisconsin," notify the court of any change of address and one month before the agreement ends, complete a final interview to discuss his record.
If he complies with the agreement, the prosecutor will ask the court to fully dismiss all charges.
The Green County case, filed in June after former district administrator Cory Hirsbrunner, his wife, left her position, alleges that the former athletic director embezzled thousands of dollars from ticket sales at school sporting events in 2014 and 2015 and falsified receipts to cover up the theft.
Ron Olson, business administrator for the district, told an investigator he found nearly $5,000 of discrepancies between gate fees and the money Hirsbrunner deposited since he was hired.
The case was outsourced to Dane County Judge Ellen Berz and Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson due to local conflicts of interest. A Stoughton Police Department detective investigated it.
Hirsbrunner's deferred prosecution agreement was reached at a status conference in the case on Monday in Madison. Hirsbrunner and his attorney Jonas Bednarek appeared in court, while Nelson appeared by phone. Nelson did not return a call for comment.
Bednarek also did not return a call for comment. A representative at his law office in Madison said he doesn't, as a rule, comment on cases.
Rick Waski, district administrator for the School District of Monroe since July, said Thursday that "we haven't seen any court documents from Monday's proceedings" but Nelson had shared information on the case with the district earlier in the process.
"In the eyes of the school district, this matter has been resolved," Waski said, referencing a separation agreement Hirsbrunner signed with the district in November 2015.
That agreement, a public document, stipulated that Hirsbrunner voluntarily resign on Nov. 30, 2015, and pay the district $6,390. Waski said Hirsbrunner fulfilled this payment to the district in November 2015.
Hirsbrunner had been on paid leave from his position since Nov. 6, 2015, while the district "reviewed certain performance issues related to the supervision of athletic program revenues," according to the agreement.
The agreement ended his contract as a teacher, district athletic director and coach. It was due to expire in June 2016.
Other stipulations of the agreement included reporting Hirsbrunner to law enforcement. In the documents, it was specified that the school board "believes it must report the circumstances underlying this agreement," and Hirsbrunner and the board agreed at the time to contact the district attorney together within 10 days to "satisfy this report."
The agreement further stipulated that "Hirsbrunner understands that (the school board) intends to fully cooperate in all respects with the District Attorney and with any law enforcement agencies as directed by the District Attorney."
Hirsbrunner and the district agreed that the separation agreement would not be included in his personnel file, but his resignation would be included.
Hirsbrunner now lives in Waunakee, according to court records. After she left Monroe at the end of the 2016-17 school year, Cory Hirsbrunner was hired as Director of Elementary Education in the Stevens Point Area Public School District.