On Wednesday, March 25th, families with children at Vel Phillips Memorial High, Toki Middle School, and the Children\u2019s Theater of Madison unexpectedly received an email mentioning an ongoing police investigation against an unnamed staff member for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student.<\/p>\n
Eliav Goldman, 29, who directed theater programs and choirs across Madison, was arrested on March 27th. He is being charged with grooming and sexual misconduct by a school staff person or volunteer. Both charges are felonies, one carrying a possible sentence of up to twelve and a half years in prison.<\/p>\n
Madison Metropolitan School District alerted the authorities following it being reported to them on the 20th. The investigation by police was soon transferred to the special victims unit, which put out several arrest warrants on the same day. Both investigations are ongoing, though separate.<\/p>\n
Goldman had been a director for Memorial\u2019s drama program, which recently received several award nominations, one for \u201cOutstanding Direction” by Wisconsin\u2019s Jerry Awards for the school\u2019s production of Urinetown. Similarly, he had directed theater at Toki and the Children\u2019s Theater of Madison. He had also worked for Madison Youth Choirs and directed Toki\u2019s choir in past years, though he quit the former before the 2025-2026 school year. He taught two classes at Memorial: Technical Theater and Theater.<\/p>\n
Goldman was arraigned on March 31st, and his bond was set at $5,000. As a condition of his bail agreement, he is not allowed on the properties of Memorial, Toki, or the Children\u2019s Theater of Madison. Along with that, Goldman is not allowed to have any contact with children. His next court date is scheduled for May 11, 2026.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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