Amy Jones

Introduction

Amy Jones is a 23-year-old Milwaukee woman charged with six felony counts after prosecutors said she posed as a substitute teacher at Rufus King International High School and directed profane, sexual, and racial remarks at students. The complaint says Jones, a former student there, signed in as a substitute and began acting out once the real teacher left. She was released without bail at her first court appearance on October 6, 2026; days later, she was charged in a separate suburban case after an arrest in Illinois.

Background Information

Jones is a former Rufus King student. On September 24, 2026, according to the complaint, she scouted the school beforehand, got through security by blending in with students, and overheard office staff discussing the substitute teacher agency. She told the secretary she was a substitute and put her name on the sign-in sheet, though she did not work for the school or the agency. Eight teachers were absent that day and only seven absences were filled; the principal told police she believed Jones “got lucky because there happened to be an unfilled position.” A real teacher set up class materials with Jones for the first 20 minutes; prosecutors said Jones began acting out when that teacher left.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Criminal case. The claims in this section come from criminal complaints filed by Milwaukee County prosecutors. The charges are accusations: Jones is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and none of the counts has been adjudicated.

Students told a school resource officer that Jones was “using profane language, racial slurs, sexually derogative statements and organizing students by race and gender in class.” A 16-year-old boy told police, “The teacher was cursing and screaming at the students and that she called a student ‘fat boy,’ asked a student if she wanted to be a stripper or a hooker,” and told two white boys in the class “they were the type of people to start school shootings.” Students also said Jones asked them if they were gay or virgins, bragged about having felonies, “dissed” kids for their weight, race, looks and money, and asked whether anyone had a vape or marijuana because the class was “so f—ing lame and annoying.” At least one student recorded her on video and shared it with police. The principal learned of the situation during the third period and had Jones escorted from the building. Questioned by a detective, Jones admitted to having a “birds and the bees talk” with students and said, “It was not appropriate.” She said she went to the school “because she was bored,” adding that she “hates kids and she just wanted to (mess) around.”

Public Reaction and Consequences

Milwaukee County prosecutors charged Jones with impersonating a public employee, a felony, and five counts of exposing a child to harmful descriptions; a conviction on all counts carries up to 21 years in prison. At her first court appearance, defense attorney Michael Cerniglia said, “Miss Jones manages bipolar disorder and was experiencing an acute manic episode caused by delayed home prescription delivery. So, she was off her meds during the time.” He said she poses no risk and has no violent criminal history, and asked that she be released to Granite Hills Hospital. Milwaukee Public Schools put “supportive measures” in place for students in the affected classes, notified its Title IX coordinator, and continued its own investigation. In letters signed by principal Doreen Badillo, the district said she was a former student recognized by staff, not a substitute teacher; that she passed the daily safety scan but office staff did not follow protocol for validating substitutes; and that employees would be retrained and held accountable. After the gym arrest, Shanika McClain, whose vehicle was taken, told WISN 12 News, “I was like, oh, wow, this is so crazy. Like, how is she even back on the street?”

Current Status

According to a complaint, a woman entered a Crunch Fitness gym in Brookfield around 4:30 a.m. on a Friday as “Aniya Brown,” took an energy drink without paying, and, picking up her backpack, took a gym member’s car keys. A man later found his 2017 Nissan Pathfinder missing; the owner told police a purple .380-caliber handgun was in the glove box. A witness identified Jones after seeing a social media post about the theft, and Oak Lawn, Illinois, police confirmed she was in custody with the stolen vehicle that Friday afternoon. A Sunday complaint in Milwaukee County accuses her of felony bail jumping for allegedly committing a new crime while on bond, and Waukesha County prosecutors charged her Monday with taking and driving a car without the owner’s consent and multiple counts of felony bail jumping. Jones is in custody in Cook County, Illinois, according to online jail records, with extradition to Milwaukee unclear; the preliminary hearing in the school case had been set for October 20.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Jones faces up to 21 years in prison on the school charges alone, with additional felonies pending in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. She remains in custody in Illinois and is ordered to stay away from Rufus King High School.

Sources

• WISN 12 News, “Milwaukee woman accused of posing as substitute teacher,” October 6, 2026 — source
• FOX6 News Milwaukee, “Woman posed as MPS substitute teacher, berated kids: complaint,” October 5, 2026 — source
• WISN 12 News, “Milwaukee teacher suspect charged in Brookfield car theft,” October 12, 2026 — source