Dane County zoo director to return following sexual assault allegations

This story contains language and descriptions surrounding sexual assault.

Dane County’s zoo director has agreed to be evaluated for substance abuse treatment after police say she sexually assaulted an employee at a work convention she attended in Seattle.

Ronda Schwetz will have criminal charges dismissed in October 2023 under an agreement approved Wednesday in Seattle municipal court. The deal requires Schwetz to be evaluated for alcohol dependency, follow any recommended course of treatment and avoid contact with the man, a former University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor and animal researcher she attended the conference and shared a room with.

Schwetz allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward the man during an Association of Zoos and Aquarium conference in 2018. The victim told Seattle Police that Schwetz said there were only enough funds to pay for one hotel room, so the two of them would have to share.

Schwetz, who was “very drunk,” groped the man, who told her stop, according to court documents. Court documents say Schwetz later approached the man while naked and asked him to have sex with her.

The next night Schwetz was at the bar very intoxicated and “falling over men,” the victim told police, allegedly straddling a man at the bar and unbuttoning his shirt before being pulled away.

The man, whose name has been redacted from court documents, left his job at Henry Vilas Zoo in the beginning of 2019. Court records say he was on an H-1B visa at the time of the incident and felt Schwetz had control over his life, later trying to undermine his career, according to an ongoing civil suit.

The civil suit contends Schwetz and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums retaliated against him for reporting the alleged assault. And that after reporting the assault, he believed Schwetz has been “on a mission to ruin my career.” He told Seattle Police he was removed from committees that she was in charge of.

Schwetz was named zoo director in 2012 and took a voluntary leave of absence to defend herself against allegations, said Dane County Director of Administration Greg Brockmeyer. He said Schwetz will return to work Monday.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated Ronda Schwetz was ordered to undergo substance abuse treatment. She was ordered to be evaluated for treatment.