For years, he was known as a teacher, a coach, and a mentor. Now, prosecutors say Ryan S. Schroeder used that position of trust to manipulate and exploit students in one of Wisconsin’s most disturbing school scandals.
The former Mishicot High School physical education teacher and track coach has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after authorities uncovered evidence that he maintained an inappropriate relationship with a teenage student for years and secretly recorded one of their encounters.
The case shocked the local community not only because of the allegations themselves, but because of who investigators say was responsible.
According to prosecutors, Schroeder, 39, began crossing boundaries with one student when she was still in middle school. Court records indicate the relationship continued for nearly two years and involved dozens of encounters.
Investigators later learned there was another student involved as well.
The second girl, who was only 13 at the time, reportedly alerted school officials about Schroeder’s behavior, setting off an investigation that would eventually expose what authorities described as a long pattern of manipulation and misconduct.
When detectives searched Schroeder’s phone, they allegedly discovered explicit messages and evidence tied to both minors.
One finding stood out above all others.
Prosecutors said Schroeder had secretly filmed one encounter involving one of the girls, a discovery that ultimately led to the federal charge carrying the heaviest consequences.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Byron B. Conway did not hold back.
Calling Schroeder a “mentor who became a predator,” the judge said the former coach abused the trust placed in him by students and families.
“This case is about much more than a single recording,” Conway said, describing Schroeder’s behavior as deeply troubling and noting that his role as a teacher gave him unique access to vulnerable young people.
The investigation also revealed the alleged relationship with the first victim lasted from 2023 through early 2025.
Authorities say Schroeder admitted the pair had been involved repeatedly during that period, with some incidents even occurring inside Mishicot High School.
Schroeder was arrested in April 2025 after reports of inappropriate conduct involving students reached the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the federal conviction, he also pleaded guilty in state court to a charge involving repeated misconduct with the same student. Prosecutors had initially filed 18 additional felony charges, though those were later dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Following his prison term, Schroeder will remain under lifetime supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The man who once stood on the track encouraging students to chase their dreams now faces decades behind bars.
And for the victims, prosecutors say, the consequences of that betrayal may last far longer than any sentence handed down in court.
