Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Matthew Lane Conley, a former teacher at Blacksburg High School, is now behind bars after police in Texas say he was fugitive of justice on six charges of sexual assault of a child. The incidents took place in 2015, and he is no longer employed by MCPS.
Apparently, Conley had fled Montague County, Texas, and lived in Blacksburg for the past three years. During that time, he worked for the local school system for one year as a special education teacher.
He has been extradited back to Texas.
According to Montgomery County schools, the individual is no longer employed by the school division, and the charges do not involve any county students.
In a statement, the school system said: “We understand how upsetting it is to hear about allegations of this nature, even when they are not connected to our students. Student safety is our highest priority.”
The local school system also said: “It is also important to note that, at the time of hiring, this individual passed all required background checks.”
The allegations involve an inappropriate sexual relationship almost 10 years ago with a freshman student at Bowie High School.
The alleged assaults occurred during the 2015-16 school year, while Conley was in his first year as a paraprofessional at Bowie High School. His teaching certificate in that state expired in 2015.
Conley was booked into the Montague County Jail, and his bond was set at $450,000—$75,000 for each charge.
After 10 years of maintaining her silence, the victim told authorities about the incidents. In Texas, there is no statute of limitations for sexual assault of a child.
