Stephanie Rapkin, a Wisconsin attorney convicted of spitting on a Black teenager during a Black Lives Matter protest in Shorewood in June 2020, later received a $760,000 settlement after challenging a separate police arrest at her home. Rapkin was found guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in April 2023 and chose to serve 60 days in jail rather than probation. In November 2024, her federal civil rights lawsuit over police entering her home without a warrant ended in an insurance-funded settlement. The agreement did not overturn her conviction or establish police wrongdoing. On September 17, 2026, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Rapkin's law license for one year over six professional misconduct violations involving the protest incident and her handling of an estate and trust.
Who Is Stephanie Rapkin?
Stephanie G. Rapkin is a Wisconsin attorney from Shorewood, a Milwaukee suburb. She was admitted to the Wisconsin bar in 1982 and practiced law in matters that included probate and estate administration.
She attracted national attention in June 2020 after a video showed her spitting on a teenage Black Lives Matter demonstrator during protests following George Floyd's death.
The incident led to criminal charges, separate civil lawsuits, and disciplinary proceedings concerning her professional conduct as an attorney.
June 6, 2020: Rapkin Spits on Black Lives Matter Protester
The confrontation occurred on June 6, 2020, when demonstrators marched along Oakland Avenue in Shorewood, Wisconsin.
Rapkin was driving through the area when her vehicle stopped along the protest route. Demonstrators approached and asked her to move.
Among them was Eric Lucas, a 17-year-old Black student who was participating in the racial justice demonstration.
During the confrontation, Rapkin spat at Lucas, striking his face. The incident was recorded on cellphone video and subsequently circulated on social media.
Rapkin maintained that she had felt threatened by the surrounding demonstrators. She also raised concerns about possible exposure to COVID-19 because some protesters were not wearing masks.
Lucas described the encounter as humiliating and distressing. The video became central evidence in the criminal proceedings against Rapkin.
June 7, 2020: Police Enter Rapkin's Home Without a Warrant
The following day, protesters gathered outside Rapkin's home in Shorewood. Police responded after a man complained that Rapkin had pushed him outside the residence before returning indoors.
Officers knocked on her door for approximately 30 minutes but received no response.
Body-camera footage later obtained by TMJ4 showed officers discussing the possibility of arresting Rapkin for disorderly conduct.
During the encounter, a neighbor informed police that Rapkin had reportedly taken sleeping medication.
Officers decided to conduct a welfare check. They forced open her front door and entered the house with their firearms drawn.
Rapkin questioned why they had entered without a warrant. After finding her responsive, officers arrested her inside the residence.
A struggle occurred while officers attempted to handcuff her. Police alleged that she struck an officer in the groin with her knee.
The circumstances of this entry and arrest later became the basis of Rapkin's federal civil rights lawsuit.
Stephanie Rapkin Convicted and Sentenced in 2023
Rapkin was prosecuted for misdemeanor disorderly conduct arising from the June 6 confrontation.
During her trial, she acknowledged spitting but disputed that she had deliberately spat on Lucas. She maintained that she was frightened by the protesters.
On April 19, 2023, a Milwaukee County jury found her guilty of disorderly conduct.
The court initially imposed a sentence involving probation. However, Rapkin rejected the probation arrangement and requested incarceration instead.
She was allowed to serve 60 days in jail rather than complete the probationary sentence.
A separate felony battery charge arising from the confrontation with officers during her arrest was dismissed in November 2023.
The dismissal of that charge did not affect her earlier disorderly conduct conviction.
Eric Lucas Files a Separate Civil Lawsuit
Lucas also pursued civil litigation against Rapkin over the spitting incident.
In June 2024, a civil jury found in favor of Lucas on claims involving assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The parties subsequently reached a confidential settlement.
His attorney, William Sulton, described the financial outcome as lower than anticipated.
Following the publicity surrounding the incident, Lucas legally changed his name in 2023. His new name has not been disclosed in the reporting reviewed.
The settlement involving Lucas was separate from Rapkin's $760,000 agreement with the municipalities and their insurer.
Why Did Stephanie Rapkin Receive a $760,000 Settlement?
Rapkin filed a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the warrantless entry into her home on June 7, 2020.
Her attorneys argued that the officers violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The lawsuit questioned whether the information about sleeping medication justified a warrantless entry and why officers proceeded with an arrest after determining that Rapkin was responsive.
Police maintained that they had entered the residence to check on her welfare. Shorewood officials denied wrongdoing.
In November 2024, the municipality confirmed that its insurer had agreed to settle the lawsuit for $760,000.
Shorewood Village Manager Rebecca Ewald explained that the settlement reflected the financial risks and potential expenses of continued litigation.
One consideration was a federal legal provision that could require defendants to pay a successful plaintiff's attorney fees, even when the damages awarded were relatively small.
The payment was covered through municipal insurance rather than a direct allocation from local taxpayers.
Officials emphasized that the agreement did not constitute an admission of misconduct by police.
Why the Settlement Did Not Overturn Rapkin's Conviction
Rapkin's criminal conviction and her federal civil rights lawsuit concerned different conduct on separate days.
The criminal case addressed her decision to spit on Lucas during the June 6 protest.
The federal lawsuit challenged the actions of officers who entered and arrested her inside her home on June 7.
A person convicted of a crime may still challenge whether police respected constitutional protections during an investigation or arrest.
Consequently, the $760,000 payment was not compensation for spitting on a demonstrator. It resolved a separate lawsuit alleging unlawful police conduct.
The settlement did not establish that the officers were legally liable, and Rapkin's disorderly conduct conviction remained in place.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Suspends Rapkin's Law License in 2026
On September 17, 2026, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Rapkin's license to practice law for one year.
The decision, Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Stephanie G. Rapkin, case No. 2024AP2265-D, concerned six professional misconduct violations established through disciplinary default proceedings.
Four violations related to her administration of a deceased person's estate and trust. Regulators found problems involving unreasonable fees, inadequate communication, insufficient documentation, and failure to administer the estate diligently.
The probate court had previously removed Rapkin as personal representative and ordered repayment of nearly $19,000 in improper fees. Rapkin challenged that order in separate appellate proceedings.
The remaining two disciplinary violations arose from the conduct that led to her disorderly conduct conviction in the 2020 protest incident.
Rapkin did not file a formal answer to the disciplinary complaint. She maintained in an email that she had retired and believed the regulator lacked jurisdiction over her.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected that position and adopted the disciplinary referee's recommendation.
In addition to the one-year suspension, the court ordered Rapkin to pay $3,164.77 in disciplinary costs. The suspension took effect immediately.
What Is Stephanie Rapkin's Legal Status in November 2026?
As of November 2026, Rapkin's Wisconsin law license remains subject to the one-year suspension imposed on September 17, 2026.
Her misdemeanor disorderly conduct conviction was not overturned by the $760,000 civil settlement.
The separate lawsuit brought by Lucas was resolved confidentially in 2024, while the disciplinary proceedings resulted in professional sanctions in 2026.
The case illustrates how a criminal conviction, civil rights litigation, private compensation claims, and attorney discipline can produce different legal outcomes even when they arise from related events.
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