In Oconomowoc Area School District v. Cota, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that protections against arrest record discrimination under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act extend to non-criminal offenses, such as municipal citations. The court found the school district unlawfully terminated employees based on arrest records, not an independent investigation. The decision highlights the narrow interpretation of exceptions and urges employers to handle arrest records with caution and review their employment practices accordingly.
Hiring Tips Blog

Wisconsin Supreme Court Tackles Thorny Contours of Arrest Record Discrimination
Jun 3, 2025 | Educational and Childcare Hiring
Recent Posts
- New Drug Testing Methods May Be Here Soon
- Tips for Employers Trying to Grapple with Cannabis Use in the Workforce
- Oklahoma Rewrites Workplace Marijuana Testing: What Employers Need to Know Before November 1st
- Florida Employers Can Ding Workers for Off-Duty Medical Marijuana Use, State Appeals Court Says
- Biometrics Top Identity Verification, But No Single Signal Wins Trust
Categories
- Artificial Intelligence Fraud (19)
- Background Check Compliance (122)
- Background Check Laws (79)
- Background Screening (67)
- Biometric Identification (17)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2)
- Credit Checks (34)
- Criminal History Check (202)
- Data Protection & Privacy (162)
- E-Verify Issues (97)
- Education Verification (11)
- Educational and Childcare Hiring (29)
- EEOC (54)
- Employer Negligence (37)
- Employment Screening (150)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (117)
- Featured Posts (1)
- Financial Services Hiring (12)
- Healthcare Hiring (15)
- Hiring Legal Compliance (10)
- Home Services and Repairs Hiring (6)
- Human Resources & Benefits (26)
- Immigration Issues (116)
- IT and Data Security Hiring (12)
- Medical & Pharmaceutical Industry Hiring (20)
- Occupational Fraud (44)
- Pre-employment Drug Testing (233)
- Public Safety Hiring (5)
- Retail Hiring (14)
- Security Services Hiring (4)
- Social Media (33)
- Transportation Industry Hiring (30)
- Uncategorized (1)
- Wage History Checks (5)

