A family liaison at Thoreau Elementary School in the Madison Metropolitan School District faces three felony charges after allegedly photographing a naked second-grade student with severe autism in the student’s private calming room and sending the image to her former partner with the message, “This is what’s going on at my job.”
Tatianna Jefferson, 28, is charged with capturing and distributing an intimate representation without consent, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County. The neglecting-a-child charge was later dropped, court records show. Jefferson signed a signature bond and is scheduled to appear in court on May 11.
The incident occurred in October 2025 in a school room designated for the student, who requires constant supervision due to his disability. The student has a documented history of removing his clothing at school because of sensory issues. Staff had been instructed to cover him with blankets and move him to a private bathroom. The “live photo,” lasting about five seconds, showed the student lying nude on a gray beanbag chair with his genitals visible. According to police, the camera flipped at the end, briefly capturing Jefferson’s face.
Jefferson shared the image with her former partner, who was on parole. He forwarded it to his then-girlfriend, hoping she would report Jefferson. A fourth-grade girl later recognized Jefferson in the photo when it appeared on her sister’s phone. The girl’s mother reported the matter to school officials, triggering a police investigation that began Jan. 27. Officers visited the school Jan. 30 and confirmed the photo matched the calming room. Jefferson was interviewed Feb. 2.
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37.4% of Thoreau 4 year old to third grade students scored lower than 75% of the students in the national comparison group.