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- An 81-year-old substitute teacher was arrested for lewdness at a Salt Lake City middle school.
- Morris Richard Saunders allegedly committed a lewd act in a classroom during school hours.
- Clayton Middle School principal assured families of immediate action and support for students.
SALT LAKE CITY — An 81-year-old substitute teacher has been arrested and accused of committing a lewd sex act during school hours.
Morris Richard Saunders was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Saturday for investigation of lewdness involving a child.
Saunders was a substitute teacher at Clayton Middle School, 1470 S. 1900 East, on March 18 when police say a student saw him committing a sex act inside an empty classroom during school hours.
"He brought his personal laptop and was in a side closet and someone walked in," according to a police booking affidavit. "(A 13-year-old girl) reported that the substitute teacher put students in charge of class, then locked himself in a connected office with his personal laptop. The victim reported that about halfway through class some students were not listening, so she went to get the substitute teacher. The victim knocked on the door several times and when there was no answer, opened the door."
The student said she saw pornography on the substitute's laptop and the teacher had exposed himself, the affidavit states.
A search warrant was served on Saturday prior to Saunders being arrested.
On Sunday, Clayton principal Kate Arch sent a message to families informing them of the incident, and why the school had not publicly addressed it yet at the request of police, and assured immediate action was taken.
"The individual is no longer employed with the district. We are distressed that something like this happened on our campus and understand our families will feel similarly Clayton Middle School and Salt Lake City School District have provided support to the student and their family. If you feel your student could benefit from speaking with a school counselor when we return from spring break, please contact me at Kate.Arch@slcschools.org," she stated.
