October 27, 2026 – Kewaskum, Wi – Parents and students with ties to the Kewaskum High School varsity volleyball team spoke during the Monday night Kewaskum School Board meeting. There were about 100 family, friends, and fellow students who attended the meeting. Many came to offer support to five seniors who quit the team mid season because of what they felt was alleged treatment that added stress to their mental health.
Parent Lisa Cannestra spoke first and outlined her concerns about staffing and administration. “Tonight, I’m asking the board to listen to our experience, independently examine what happened, and ensure that speaking up is never something a student or anyone else in the district regrets. I’m asking us to consider if student safety and well-being were prioritized because instead of feeling heard and supported when these girls had the courage to speak up, they felt scrutinized, silenced, isolated, and punished by high school administration.”
Cannestra’s full speech is below.
Milli Kreif, a senior who was one of two students suspended a day after adminstration was made aware of team concerns, also spoke at the Monday meeting.
My name is Milli Kreif and I was one of the five seniors to leave the volleyball program for the betterment of our mental health. I’ve been a three-year, two-sport varsity starter in both volleyball and softball. I’m also part of many highly regarded clubs within the high school, and I’m committed to playing volleyball.
What I’m trying to tell you is that I’m not a bad kid. I’m not a bad volleyball player. I’m not an evil person, and my parents are not ashamed of me. I can confidently say the same for my teammates. We are not a bad group of kids.
My goal in speaking with you today is to provide more context about the situation and hopefully have it taken into further consideration to prevent similar situations in the future.
The Kewaskum volleyball staff has done irreparable damage to me and my teammates. They have dulled my light. They have stolen my spark, and they have taken the light from within me and killed it, burying it six feet below the surface. Now, a numb, lifeless body is what remains, one that no longer finds joy in the game of volleyball or, more broadly, in the game of life.
Multiple student-athletes’ mental health has been shattered to bits and pieces, yet no action has been taken.
I politely and maturely approached the athletic director with concerns about the future of the program because multiple underclassmen had come to me saying they no longer wanted to be part of the program due to the staff’s actions.
It stuns me that this administration wants student advocacy, but when students advocate for themselves, they are left feeling like idiots and as though they have no voice.
The manipulation, vulgar language and emotional abuse we have received are things that should never come out of a coach’s mouth. As a coach, you should be working to build confidence and character within your players. This coaching staff has failed to do so, and that is why they no longer deserve the title of coach.
This coaching staff failed to see my mental state declining day by day. Instead, they wrote it off as a bad attitude rather than recognizing a good kid who seemed off and simply asking, “What’s wrong? How can I help?”
They failed me and ruined me as a person and as a volleyball player simply because they never cared enough to ask if I was okay.
It is an inexplicable pain to describe having once looked at these women with pride and respect, only to now look at them with hatred, animosity and disgust.
I’m beyond disappointed that a group of women I felt very close to, and whom I looked up to, couldn’t see my struggle and didn’t care enough to help me.
I hope they wake up guilt-ridden and remorseful, with a heavy conscience every morning of their lives, knowing that they eradicated my confidence and my life. They let me down in almost every way possible.
The problem here is the lack of empathy, compassion, communication and basic respect for a human being.
Mental health in sports is a big-ticket item that is always talked about but never acted upon. Now, this is an opportunity for you to act.
If a change is not made and accountability is not taken, the Kewaskum program will continue to crumble, along with all of Kewaskum athletics.
What would you do if your child came home in tears every night after practice, stopped eating dinner and isolated themselves from everyone?
This situation was not handled correctly. I hope and pray that you can see that, recognize the damage that has been done and begin making an effort to rebuild.
Thank you for your time.
The next speaker at the meeting was LeAnne Butschlick.
Good evening. My name is LeAnne Butschlick. My husband and I are graduates of the high school, as were our three daughters. All three of our girls were student-athletes in various sports, and all went on to play volleyball in college.
I think I may have the distinction of being the longest-tenured varsity volleyball mom in the program’s history. Between our three girls, we had 11 years in the program and varsity involvement from 2015 to 2020.
I point that out not because it’s my accomplishment, but because some may say I have a horse in this race. I disagree.
I absolutely understand what it takes to build a successful program. I’ve seen the time and commitment from the athletes, the selfless coaches, and the all-in parents, families and supporters.
Over the years, I’ve observed the girls’ hard work and passion. I’ve seen coaches put in the time to build the kids on and, far more importantly, off the court.
I’ve also seen parents support not only their own children but the program through fundraisers, community events, team bonding and cheering.
It absolutely broke my heart to watch the livestream of the recent regional game and see so few people in the gym. I decided then that something needed to be said by someone with an outside perspective.
Full disclosure, my daughter has been a junior varsity coach in the program for the past four years. By her choice, she will not return next year if the current coaching administration remains.
Early this season, I suggested that she document every negative interaction and every demeaning comment directed at her or someone around her. Unfortunately, it’s quite a list, and it’s been shared with the administration. I’m sure we could get you a copy if you’re interested in seeing it.
I have had a front-row seat as countless people built this program into something our community could be proud of. Yet, in less than two seasons, one person has undone nearly everything so many people worked to achieve.
I had the pleasure of getting to know four of the five seniors when they played with my youngest daughter. These are good, talented, hardworking kids.
They’re not attitude cases. They’re not discipline problems. They stood up for themselves against what I see as the absolute power of an athletic teacher.
They stood up against what can only be described as bullying behavior. And I’m incredibly proud of mine.
Following the meeting school board president Jim Leister declined comment saying the issue is “under investigation.”
Asked for a timeline on when a statement will be ready, Leister had no information.
The coach of the Kewaskum girls varsity volleyball team is Colleen Hasse. According to her LinkedIn profile she has been in the Kewaskum School District since 2023 and was named girls varsity volleyball coach in 2025. Prior to that, Hasse was head volleyball coach for 17 seasons at West Bend East High School where the team captured six total conference titles. She also lead the team to two state tournament appearances (state runner-up in 2007; state quarterfinals in 2008).
Labeled as “a highly accomplished volleyball coach in Wisconsin,” Hasse also coaches for the Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club.
According to her profile, “Our team at Kewaskum School District consistently integrates personal techniques and nutritional insights into our curriculum, thanks to my role as a Physical Education Teacher. With over eight years as a Coach and Tournament Director at Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club, I’ve honed my expertise in sports coaching to foster both mindset education and competitive excellence. My commitment to health and fitness education is reflected in every student’s progress and the success of programs I work with.”
An email was sent to Hasse for comment, but no information was received prior to publication of this article.
This is a working story and more information will be posted when details are available.
KHS Volleyball Program and Coaching Conduct Handling— Board Statement
Good evening.
My name is Lisa Cannestra. I am speaking on behalf of myself, my daughter, senior parents and the seniors in the KHS volleyball program. We are deeply concerned about the toxic environment within the volleyball program that led to five senior girls, my daughter included, walking away mid-season. We are perhaps even more concerned about how high school administration responded to these students.
Two of these seniors are committed to playing volleyball at the collegiate level. I want to be clear; these girls did not simply quit the team. They felt they had no option to remain on the team safely and were forced to walk away. That should raise serious questions about the culture of the program.
Tonight, I’m asking the board to listen to our experience, independently examine what happened, and ensure that speaking up is never something a student or anyone else in the district regrets. I’m asking us to consider if student safety and well-being were prioritized because instead of feeling heard and supported when these girls had the courage to speak up, they felt scrutinized, silenced, isolated, and punished by high school administration.
My daughter had defined her last 2 years under the head coach as highly stressful and emotionally exhausting. This year, she described it as turning toxic in nature and questioned if remaining in the program was good for her mental health. She shared with me that her peers had reported their concerns to the athletic director previously, but were directed to have specific examples. My daughter reported frequently feeling like she was blamed for negative game outcomes and that her and the senior girls felt frequently singled out in front of their peers by the head coach.
After the game on October 1st, five senior girls, including my daughter, were asked by the head coach to stay behind and the rest of the team was dismissed. The seniors report they were terrified of what was going to happen and what the head coach was going to do because she was so mad. The conversation that occurred on Oct 1st was recorded by two of the senior girls because of perceived threat and being scared. My daughter arrived home that night visibly upset. She allowed me to hear the recording and stated the recording was not entirely different from other interactions with the head coach. What I heard was deeply alarming to me:
“If I was your parent, I would be so embarrassed.”
“I actually wanted every single one of you to turn in your jerseys tonight.”
“If you or your parents say one negative thing about what we are doing here, you’re done.”
“You have evil in you.”
I also heard statements predicting that college would be extremely difficult for them and that their professors would laugh at them and fail them and their parents can’t save them there.
Verbal abuse and bullying by definition involves language used to demean, humiliate, blame, intimidate, or threaten another person. What I heard in that recording raised serious concerns about whether these girls were being treated in a manner any student should have to endure from a coach.
My daughter shared this recording with me for help. She did not post it to social media, she did not send it to all her friends or the team to hear, she shared it with me as her parent. The other seniors did the same. As parents, we discussed the matter to determine the best way to ensure these girls got help and we could keep them safe.
On the morning of Friday, Oct 2nd (the next morning) as a group of parents, we contacted the athletic director and requested an immediate meeting. We explained our concerns and the impact on our daughters’ mental health and well-being. We offered to meet immediately and allow him to hear the recorded evidence of the interaction with our daughters. We also asked what the school would do to restore a safe environment for our daughters and ensure that they were free from retaliation.
We followed the process. We raised safety concerns. We asked for help. And the response we experienced was not the support we had requested.
Per my daughter, the principal approached her the morning of Friday, Oct 2nd at her locker and walked her to his office for an interview with the athletic director and himself. My daughter told me she felt intimidated by this interaction.
She said that she was told they knew there was a recording, that she was a good student and that they trusted she would tell the truth. She was then made to play the recording while the principal re-recorded it using his own personal phone. My daughter stated she was crying throughout the playback, as she was made to hear again the verbal bullying and belittling that had caused her distress, this time sitting in front of two adult men in positions of authority. She stated she was scared, intimidated and not even sure she had played the whole recording because of her distress. My daughter said she was asked to report who specifically recorded the interaction. Based on the information she provided, her teammates (2 of the 5 seniors) were subsequently suspended the next school day on Monday, October 5th.
After my daughter was ‘free to go’, the principal contacted me. What I expected to hear was follow-up on concerns raised as a parent group toward a safe environment for our kids in the volleyball program. I was shocked that was not the reason for the call, rather the reason for the call was to let me know that he had interviewed my daughter related to a ‘student misconduct’ issue, regarding student cell phone recording of staff.
What I did not hear was how my daughter’s well-being had been considered, why she had been subjected to listen to the very recording that as a parent I had identified and offered to play. Why the interview was not stopped when she was crying and visible distressed, especially given that as her parent, I had already called to light that the situation was highly distressing and I was concerned for her mental health and safety. I did not hear what safeguards were in place for her or the other seniors, or how the school was addressing the original concern about the coach, because we had not heard back despite our request for immediate meeting. I questioned why evaluation of student conduct appeared to take priority over the evaluation of staff conduct we had reported. I questioned the conflict of interest that the principal has related to the volleyball program and if his interaction with my daughter was appropriate at all.
My daughter told me that the principal did not stop to ask whether she was okay or offer support from a counselor at any time during his interaction.
Think about that.
A student who was already distressed by an adult’s conduct was required to listen to the interaction again, cried throughout the experience, and, according to her account, was not offered support.
How is that a psychologically safe and supportive environment? Where was the concern for the student in the middle of this process? How was immediately interrogating my daughter rather than reaching out to the parents who raised awareness of the recording and concern appropriate at all?
I understand that the district has policies regarding student recordings. But the policy itself recognizes an exception when a student perceives a threat. That is precisely the concern we raised when we initially contacted the athletic director: the girls recorded the interaction because they felt unsafe. Two of the seniors were suspended for not following the cell phone policy. At no point did anyone try to understand why the recording existed before focusing exclusively on holding the students who made it accountable for their actions.
I expected the school administration to prioritize student safety and the concerns that I identified as a parent, but they did not. Parents raised concern for safety on Friday, Oct 2nd. My daughter was interviewed about student conduct issues on Friday, Oct 2nd. All senior girls were met with regarding their student misconduct, not any coaching concerns and subsequently directed to delete the recorded evidence of the interaction on Monday, Oct. 5th. The 2 senior girls were served with suspensions on Monday, Oct 5th. The first parent meeting made available to any of the senior parents was after all of that. I did not meet with the athletic director for the first time until Thursday, Oct 8th.
If school administrators can act decisively when they believe students have violated a rule, they must be equally committed to examining concerns about the conduct of adults in positions of authority.
I want to address the principal’s involvement in this case. His role as both a parent within the volleyball program and an administrator involved in the response raises legitimate questions about impartiality and conflict of interest. Especially when the response to raising concerns within a competitive program, resulted in disciplinary action on senior students who participate. When personal interests and administrative authority intersect, the responsibility to ensure impartiality becomes even greater.
Additionally, all senior girls, including my daughter, were subjected to an unwritten rule that school administration elected to enforce in this situation. This prevented any of the senior girls from attending further volleyball games, even as a spectator to cheer on the remaining team. My daughter also stated she was directed not to talk to anyone but her parents about the situation and not to discuss anything with the rest of the volleyball players.
I advocated to multiple school administrators for a safe opportunity for the girls to talk, explain their experiences, and understand one another. That opportunity was not offered.
My daughter stated she felt silenced further by the unwritten rule. She cares deeply about the girls on that team. Her care for her teammates was honestly the primary reason she continued participating in the program as long as she did.
She said she felt silenced and so did the other senior girls. They noted that their volleyball stats were removed from national platforms, social media was updated to remove photos from time in the program, the principal and athletic director immediately took down their senior banners. Meanwhile, they also saw the head coach continuing on to coach the season, now offering team treats, celebrations, new shirts bearing the word ‘family’ and had been addressing remaining volleyball team levels with the head coaches’ version of why the senior girls were gone.
It’s very hard for that to not feel like the girls were silenced while the season continued.
We have repeatedly been told that an investigation into the coaching conduct is underway. Yet weeks after these concerns were raised, we still have no clear answers about whether other players have been interviewed about their experiences, if past players were interviewed, other parents in the program, or literally anyone other than the coaches themselves. For our seniors, no one asked them why they believed they needed to leave the program, or what they thought would help make the environment better.
I recognize that the school administration cannot share every detail of an ongoing investigation. But confidentiality should not prevent them from explaining its process, ensuring students are heard, or demonstrating that the underlying concerns are being addressed.
From the perspective of the families involved, we have seen action taken against the students who reported the incident, while we have little visible evidence of action addressing the conduct that prompted the report.
Ultimately, I question what message this experience is sending to our young, impressionable athletes and students. Our district prides itself on supporting the whole student and preparing young people for real-life situations. But what has this experience taught these girls? – I hope they don’t reflect on this experience in the future and second guess reporting abuse or a safety concern because the last time they felt isolated, they got suspended and they saw no action toward the person they reported.
Student conduct policies should promote safety, responsibility, and learning—not make students afraid to report something that feels wrong.
This cannot simply end with the girls walking away, the suspensions being served, and the community being told to accept that the matter has been handled.
I asked my daughter whether I should let this go; it would be easier to be quiet.
Her answer mattered.
She told me she did not want another student entering this program or school to experience the same thing.
Think about that.
The young woman who felt unsupported by the adults responsible for addressing her concerns is thinking about the students who will come after her. Thinking about how to prevent another child from experiencing what she experienced.
That is care. That is compassion. That is the leadership that we should expect from coaches and school administrators.
I believe this district can and should do better. We need to demonstrate that speaking up is not something our children should regret—or something any student, employee, parent, or community member should be afraid to do. We need our district actions to support the positive culture we advertise.
Thank you. Lisa Cannestra
