Ex-Benicia elementary teacher accused of sexually abusing five students
(KRON) — More alleged victims have come forward in connection to Matthew Shelton, a former teacher who worked at schools in Benicia, Napa, and the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
A lawsuit was filed last week in Solano County court against Benicia Unified School District and Shelton accusing the former teacher of sexually assaulting four students, “Jane Does 2-5,” during the 2022-2023 school year at Robert Semple Elementary School. A second lawsuit was also filed April 9 on behalf of a fifth Robert Semple student, “Jane Doe 1.”
Attorneys said Shelton, 42, worked in elementary schools for over a decade as a teacher and substitute teacher. When accusations surfaced at one school, Shelton resigned and switched to another school in the Bay Area, attorneys claim. His teaching credentials were not suspended until March 12, 2024, the Vallejo Sun reported.
The five students and their families are represented by attorney Brendan Gilbert of Taylor & Ring.
“These cases are appalling and have raised serious questions about how well teachers are vetted given that Shelton had a history of sexual abuse allegations at another school district,” Gilbert said. “Shockingly, Benicia Unified didn’t even fire Shelton when these allegations came to light, he was allowed to quietly resign, and was able to find employment at another school in mid-2023.”
The lawsuit accuses the school district of negligent hiring, and accuses the principal of sweeping students’ allegations under the rug because the principal was friends with the teacher and his wife.
The suit states, “Towards the end of the first semester of the 2022-2023 school year, Semple’s principal … was made directly aware of Shelton’s inappropriate conduct towards female students. She also made clear to these students that she did not believe Shelton engaged in the behavior that they were reporting and that it was unfortunate that these students were making these false allegations. This had a chilling effect on these students, as they felt like (the principal) was openly hostile to their attempts to inform her about a predatory teacher.”
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Timeline of Shelton’s employment, according to Taylor & Ring law firm:
2007: Shelton was arrested and accused of sexually abusing four female students, between ages 8-9, while employed as a third grade teacher at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa. He was later acquitted by a jury at trial.
2013-2015: Shelton worked as a teacher in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
2015: Shelton was employed at Robert Semple Elementary School in Benicia.
2018-2019: Shelton was accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old student at Robert Semple.
2022: The lawsuit claims that the teacher used “grooming, conditioning, and manipulation of Plaintiffs culminated in Shelton inappropriately touching and sexually assaulting Plaintiffs on numerous occasions during the first semester of the 2022-2023 school year at Semple. The abuse took place in Shelton’s classroom, as well as other locations.”
Shelton was later placed on administrative leave from Benicia Unified School District.
June 2023: Shelton resigned from the Benicia school district.
July 2023: Shelton was employed at the West Contra Costa Unified School District as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School.
February 2024: The Solano County District Attorney’s Office charged Shelton with several felony criminal counts, including lewd and lascivious acts against minors. The alleged victims were less than 14 years old, according to the charges.
April 2024: Attorneys file two lawsuits against Benicia Unified School District in April 2024.
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