Millbrae police officers arrested a Taylor Middle School teacher who taught sixth grade on Thursday on various charges of sexual assault against minors, who are or were students at the school.
On Friday, February 24, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Millbrae Police officers from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at Taylor Middle School, regarding a report of an alleged sexual assault of a student. by a sixth grade teacher.
School personnel informed deputies that upon learning of the allegation, the teacher was placed on administrative leave, and per school protocol, the Sheriff's Office was notified.
The investigation revealed that the alleged sexual assault took place sometime between November 2021 and March 2022.
During the ongoing investigation, detectives learned of several minors who also claimed to have been inappropriately touched ?above their clothing? by the suspect between 2007 and 2022.
In view of this, this Thursday, April 20, Sheriff's detectives arrested Matthew Garrett, 54, at his San Francisco home, and he was admitted to the Maguire Correctional Center on the aforementioned charges, while his bail was set at 5 millions of dollars.
"Teachers are entrusted caregivers to our children, to help protect and safeguard them while they are at school," Sheriff Christina Corpus said in a statement.
“What this suspect has allegedly done to the students in his charge is abhorrent and goes against everything good, self-sacrificing teachers stand for. These are difficult cases to investigate, but our Office is committed to protecting and serving the children of our community."
As this is an ongoing investigation, Sheriff's detectives believe other victims and witnesses have not yet been identified.
Given this, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office recognized that this type of incident can cause a wide variety of emotional responses and the need for parents to talk to their children about inappropriate behavior between adults and minors.
To help navigate these difficult but important discussions, the resources provided by the organization darkness Toight, which seeks to prevent sexual abuse in minors, are available online.
Authorities urged anyone with information about this incident to call Detective Homing Cheung at 650-599-1546 or the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, with anonymous tips at 1-800-547-2700.
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