Superintendent charged with two counts of possessing child pornography
Thomas Johnson, 51, faces a $250,000 cash bond after an anonymous letter sparked a probe into his phone and home.
By Bianca Herrera ·
Thomas W. Johnson, the 51-year-old superintendent of Union Grove High School, is now charged with two counts of possessing child pornography. Prosecutors filed the criminal complaint on Thursday, Nov. 5, following an investigation that began with an anonymous tip.
The case started on Oct. 22, 2026, when the Racine County Sheriff’s Office received a letter from an anonymous source. The writer alleged they had been in an affair with Johnson for several years. They claimed to have found inappropriate text messages between Johnson and former students on his phone while he was sleeping on a deck. The letter stated that the chats included photo exchanges and that Johnson threatened to get the former students fired if they spoke up. The tipster wrote, “Just the other day he made a comment and now I can’t keep quiet. This man needs to be investigated.”
Investigators from the Racine County Sheriff’s Office spoke with Johnson on Oct. 23. According to prosecutors, he admitted to the affair but denied the specific allegations in the letter. Officers examined his phone and returned it after an initial search failed to find illegal material. However, prosecutors noted that the device showed “substantial amounts of information deleted.” They told Johnson the situation “did not look good and was suspicious.”
A manual review of recent phone activity raised further concerns. Days later, officers from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office secured a warrant to download Johnson’s phones and direct messages. This digital forensics work revealed two images on his device that prosecutors say constituted child pornography. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, officers executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home in Kenosha and took him into custody. He was booked into the Kenosha County Jail that morning. When questioned about the photos, Johnson “continually denied knowledge of how these were on his phone and would not state how he would have possibly come across these,” according to the complaint.
The Union High School District issued a statement on Wednesday confirming the arrest. The district said it was “deeply troubled” by the allegations and is cooperating fully with law enforcement. Principal Tom Blair is now serving as acting District Administrator. The district asked community members with information to contact the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office directly.
Johnson appeared in court on Thursday, Nov. 5. A judge set his cash bond at $250,000. The court ordered him to have no contact with minors and to refrain from using social media. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 12.
