Millbrae 6th grade teacher arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting students

(KRON) — A teacher at a Millbrae middle school was arrested on Thursday in connection with sexual assault of students, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said. Matthew Garrett, 54, is accused of touching young students from 2007 to 2022.

Officials were first told of a sexual assault on Feb. 24, 2023. SMCSO deputies responded to the school, located at 850 Taylor Blvd, at about 5 p.m. for the alleged sexual assault of a student.

After learning about the allegation, Garrett was placed on administrative leave, SMCSO said. An investigation revealed that the assault occurred between November 2021 and March 2022.

The Millbrae Elementary School District issued a statement on the arrest offering sympathy to the victims and encouraging anyone who might know anything to come forward.

“This is a very sad day for our school district,” school officials said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the alleged victims and their families. Crisis counselors are available at schools to provide support services to students, staff and parents. Student safety is a shared community concern. We encourage anyone who may have heard something or seen something, that might relate to this case to contact the Sheriff’s Office, a school principal, or district administration.”

While the sheriff’s office investigated the assault, detectives learned of other juvenile victims. SMCSO said they claimed they were touched inappropriately between 2007 and 2022.

Garrett was arrested at his San Francisco home on Thursday. He was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility on 10 counts of sexually molesting a child under 14 years old and is being held on a $5 million bail.

“Teachers are caretakers entrusted with our children, to help protect and safeguard them while they are at school,” said San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus. “What this suspect is alleged to have done to students in his care is abhorrent and flies in the face of everything good, selfless teachers stand for. These are challenging cases to investigate but our office is committed to protecting and serving our community’s children.”