A former Amery School District staff member was sentenced to one year in jail Thursday, after her conviction earlier this year for having a sexual relationship with a former student. Polk County District Attorney Dan Steffen said the sentence against Brenda Ballargion includes conditions that she not be within the city limits of Amery or within one mile of her victims residence. She must also register as a sex offender, obtain sex offender treatment, and have non contact with any makes under age 18.
Ballargion is also on probation for 15 years and if she breaks any of the rules of probation will go to state prison for 10 years. "If she gets a text, she'd better not respond, if she gets a phone call she'd better hang up, if she sees him in a grocery store she'd better run the other way for the next 15 years," said Steffen. "That will give this young man the opportunity to be 31 by the time she's off of probation, which I think adequately protects him." The sentencing was handed down by Polk County Circuit Court Judge Molly Gail Wyrick.
