Following a disturbing event at a middle school in Salt Lake City, an 81-year-old substitute teacher has been arrested for alleged lewd behavior in a classroom. The incident, as reported by FOX 13 News, involved Morris Richard Saunders, who is accused of masturbating while watching pornography on his laptop during school hours. The inappropriate act was discovered by a student, who reported the incident through the SafeUT app on March 20, with the actual occurrence dating back to March 18.
Details provided by KSL TV reveal that on becoming aware of the incident, Clayton Middle School Principal Kate Arch immediately set the wheels of investigation in motion. Reaching out to various authorities, including the police, "I immediately investigated and then contacted the parents of the student involved, the district’s Human Resource Services department, the Salt Lake City Police Department, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services," Arch explained in an email to the school community. In light of the findings, Saunders is no longer associated with the Salt Lake City School District.
The case now sits with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, after initial handling by detectives from their Violent Criminal Apprehension Team. According to KUTV, Saunders faces a Class A misdemeanor charge of lewdness involving a child. His arrest and subsequent booking into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail mark a swift response to a situation that has resonated with discomfort through the school’s community.
