CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Montgomery Central High School teacher who showed nude photos of himself to a 17-year-old student has resigned, according to Clarksville Now.
Matthew Vedder resigned from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System on Thursday, April 9, ending his due process rights as external investigations continue, the outlet reported.
Vedder, 52, admitted to Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigators that the photos were of him and that he showed them to the student during class on March 9, but said it was accidental. The student and her family said the act was intentional.
According to Clarksville Now, the case remains under criminal investigation, and the District Attorney’s Office has requested it be handled by an outside judicial district.
When the incident was first reported, Vedder was placed on an alternative worksite off school property. The school system paused its internal investigation during the criminal probe.
In a statement to Clarksville Now, Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools spokesman Anthony Johnson said Vedder’s resignation ends his due process rights under state law.
“On Thursday, April 9, Matthew Vedder resigned from CMCSS while assigned to alternative worksite, pending the outcome of the investigations,” Johnson said. “By resigning, he waives any rights to due process from CMCSS, which is afforded to all tenured teachers by state law.”
Johnson added the district has not received updates on the external investigations.
“Since there are ongoing external investigations, CMCSS has no information regarding the investigations, and I cannot speculate the outcome,” he said. “However, based on what was officially reported to CMCSS by law enforcement on March 9, even an accidental display of inappropriate content could have resulted in disciplinary action up to and including charges of dismissal for conduct unbecoming.”
Johnson told Clarksville Now that the district has submitted an initial report on Vedder to the State Board of Education and will file a final report once the investigations are complete.
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