By Amelia Naughten (Staff Writer), Michaela Gonzalez (Opinion’s Editor) and Katelyn Chang (Editor-in-Chief)
On April 20, 2023, the San Mateo County Sheriff Department arrested 54 year-old Mathew Garrett in his home in San Francisco for 10 counts of sexual assault. His bail was set at $5 million.
Two months earlier on February 24, 2023 at 5:00 PM, the Millbrae Police Bureau division of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office arrived at Taylor Middle School to respond to a sexual assault allegation concerning the sixth grade social science teacher and a female student, in which Garrett had been accused of inappropriately touching the student over her clothes at Taylor. The staff present informed the police that the assault had taken place from November 2021 to March 2022. His arraignment before the court on the charges of 22 counts of “lascivious conduct” took place on May 11, 2023.
During the time frame suggested by the staff, Garrett had been on leave for two months since the allegations were first brought forth in February. After this first report, several more students and alumni, from past years ranging from 1997 to 2022, came forward with their own experiences in which Garrett made them feel uncomfortable.
On the days following his arrest, Taylor Middle School principals Erin Zlatunich and Rob Slauson held an assembly of over 200 attendees to update the community on the recent revelation. Following this, two weeks later, Taylor Middle School sent an email to the student and parent bodies regarding the incident. In the email, they stated their sympathies to the victims and others affected by the arrest. The Mills Thunderbolt contacted the principals at Taylor for further information concerning their response to ensure the safety of students but received no reply as the district has been cautious to comment on the situation out of concern of privacy rights and fear of potentially “jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.”
While the staff at Taylor Middle School was unwilling to provide any comments, current students at TMS who had been taught by Garrett were open to discussion. Danielle Song, a current eighth grader at Taylor Middle School, had Garrett as a teacher for the sixth grade elective wheel course that he ran titled, Greek Mythology. At the time, Song remembers that he was a kind teacher, stating, “I didn’t believe it at first; I thought it was a rumor.” She elaborated that ever since this took place, conduct between students and teachers at Taylor has become more rigid, as “now we can’t hug teachers or really make any contact, and the dress code is really strict.”
With this unfortunate incident occurring within the Millbrae community, it has, in turn, caused a ripple effect on many Mills students. Given that a majority of the students here at Mills used to attend Taylor Middle School, there are more than a handful of students who were taught by Garrett. Natalie Lo (9) shared her views on the matter, stating, “I had him for Greek Mythology and I actually thought he was a good teacher, it was wild to hear about his crimes… I mostly feel bad for his family.” Sharon Zhang (9) also recalled their time at Taylor Middle School, saying, “I didn’t notice anything at the time, but then again, I was in sixth grade so I don’t remember much. There was a general consensus that he was off, though. It’s surprising, I thought he was one of the good ones.” The situation has shed light on an otherwise unthinkable matter, bringing many to an array of confusion and shock.
The wellness counselors at Mills illuminated the trauma that may follow a student surrounding this event from a licensed perspective, specifically for students who had previously been taught by Mr. Garrett. Explaining that the event may induce the aforementioned feelings of confusion and anxiety, the counselors went on to explain that “this can lead to a loss of respect and confidence in the teacher, as well as feelings of shame, guilt, and self-doubt in the student.” As a result, these stressors may negatively affect a student’s “academic performance, mental health, and overall well being.” Counselor Laura Hahn also sent out an email offering a safe place for students to process the events with a mental health therapist.
Since much of the Mills community has been heavily impacted, Mills principal Mrs. Duszynski extended a statement concerning this matter: “Even though this is a really unfortunate event and affects our community, it’s important that we stay strong in the face of adversity. I know this is upsetting, but the more we stay connected as a community, and the more we talk and use our resources, the more empowered we are to prevent instances like these in the future,” going on to add that “the more scared or isolated we become by not talking about what happened, then the more we struggle as a community to be able to face these challenges in the future.”
That being said, Mills’ first priority is to ensure that students are safe and comfortable in a school environment. Dusynski affirmed that Mills hosts mandated training for staff at the beginning of the school year in August; the training helps staff identify and prevent incidents like these in the future. She revealed that “It’s a very poignant training,” going on to say that it is specific in how to identify signs of a potential sexual predator. “No matter if you’ve taught at Mills for thirty years, you participate in that training every year. There’s no getting out of it, and you have to certify that you’ve been trained every year.”
When further asked about how Mills ensures that students are safe, Dusysnki reminded us of our wellness team. “Having access to three excellent wellness counselors and four excellent school counselors. Providing those safe spaces and those highly trained people if you’re not comfortable talking to a teacher,” she expressed. Dusynski then went on to talk about Mills’ anonymous alert system. “Should a student feel uncomfortable, they can report it anonymously. Every anonymous alert is dealt with and followed up on,” she reassured.
Although our administration and wellness counselors have been open to commenting on the impact of Garrett’s arrest on the Mills community, many teachers have been reluctant to do the same. In fact, when the Mills Thunderbolt staff sought out comments from teachers on campus for this article, they were either evasive or did not want to talk about the issue. However, while teachers themselves have the ability to choose whether or not to comment, not commenting on a situation so relevant to our community can have unintended consequences, including breeding a culture of silence on campus. When teachers and staff members choose to stay silent, especially when confronted with a situation their students are deeply impacted by, the message sent to students is that silence is the appropriate course of action. With cases and topics as sensitive as lascivious conduct, students should be able to hear from their teachers that they can reach support. As stated by Principal Duszynski, “Ultimately, we are not the judges in this situation. That’s why we have our courts and our justice system to bring justice to the victims in this case. That is not our role as teachers/educators to judge or say what did or didn’t happen. As a school community, we have to learn how to be empathetic listeners and have real deep connections with our students. If we are not there yet, we have work to do.” Essentially, teachers and staff members alike should be comfortable in a role of being “empathetic listeners” to their students, ensuring that their emotional needs are met and secured, whether that means talking to students themselves or encouraging them to seek a wellness counselor. On the flip side, continuing to stay silent ensures that, inevitably, the next time a student comes forward with accusations or wishes to speak out, they’ll be ingrained with the idea that members of school staff would rather stay silent than support their students. School trainings, such as those previously mentioned by Principal Duszynski, can serve to bolster education for teachers on how to approach situations related to sexual assault or sexual predation, whether related to students or teachers.
Together, the only way to heal from the tragedy of this situation is as a collective community, supporting everyone who has been affected by either providing resources or encouraging conversation. By speaking up, not only as school administrators, but as students, we ensure that we set a precedent towards appropriate responses for future generations of students. And, as students, teachers, and staff alike, we all have a responsibility to uplift, listen, and support each other, no matter the situation. Ultimately, the choice is ours– if we choose to take the first steps forward, healing will follow.
