Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Damon Wright issued a statement Monday to address the recent arrest and indictment of multiple counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor against a former Benicia teacher.
“Our school district and community, we share a commitment to excellence and education, and that requires our schools and all who work or volunteer in them to maintain students’ safety and wellbeing as our utmost priority,” said Wright. “As an educator, and a father, I know that each and every day when families send their children to our schools, they are trusting us to treat them with respect and compassion. They are trusting us to keep their children safe … I want our school community to have full confidence that we address issues head on, with integrity and honesty.”
Matthew Joseph Shelton, 42, a former fifth-grade teacher at Robert Semple Elementary School, was arrested on Feb. 23 after allegations arose that he had engaged in inappropriate interactions with a student at the school.
According to court documents, Shelton has been charged with seven felony counts of lewd acts on a child under the age of 14 “with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying the lust, passions, and sexual desires of the said defendant and the said child.”
The prosecutor says the incidents involving one child took place on five occasions on the Robert Semple Elementary school grounds between September and December of 2022, while the other two incidents are believed to have taken place during a school field trip five years ago.
Should Shelton be convicted, he could face a prison sentence of up to eight year and payment of a fine of up to $10,000 per count or face both imprisonment and a fine, plus face the possibility of an additional fine of up to $10,000.
Misdemeanor sexual abuse charges involving four of his students had previously been filed against Shelton in Napa when he was working as a third-grade teacher at Phillips Edison Elementary School in April 2007. After a 6-day jury trial in 2008, however, he was acquitted of six counts of child molestation because, according to reports from the Napa Valley Register at the time of the trial, three girls testified and Shelton’s attorney argued that their stories were fabricated and inconsistent with one another. At that time, Shelton’s teaching credentials were suspended but his lawyer said that after the charges were overturned that he would seek to have it reinstated.
To ensure that the BUSD is holding true to its vision of professionalism, Wright said the district has now created a multi-step action plan to review the district’s systems and processes to ensure student safety and wellbeing. The plan outlines three key areas of importance, according to Wright, which include conducting an independent review of the district’s hiring, supervision, and evaluation practices of all employees during all school hours and across all school activities, including extracurricular activities and field trips. The action plan will also address the district’s response time to concerns and complaints that are raised by students, staff and parents to “better ensure expedient and proper attention.”
Lastly, Wright said the district is continuing its efforts to invest in strong student advocacy skills so students of all ages at BUSD know their rights, have self-advocacy skills, and have the proper tools to speak up should they ever see or hear something that makes them feel uncomfortable.
“We believe having an independent review of our systems will reinforce the comprehensiveness of our practices and it may offer additional recommendations for consideration,” said Wright. “We will not shy away from embracing actions that will strengthen our commitment to excellence across our operations in service to students.”
Shelton has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to appear in a Vallejo courtroom for a preliminary hearing setting on May 6.