EX-BASKETBALL COACH, TEACHER FACES SEX CRIME CHARGES
By Gregory J. Lamoureux
County Courier
ST. ALBANS: Matthew Toof, a Georgia Elementary School teacher and former BFA St. Albans Boys Basketball coach is facing criminal charges after being arrested on Wednesday evening after allegations that he sexually assaulted a teenage student arose.
According to a press release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, Toof was arrested by deputies after a joint investigation by their agency as well as Northwest Unit for Special Investigations. Few details were available on Thursday afternoon, however, police said the span of abuse extended for as long as six years.
The graphic details alleged in the criminal complaint were too much to air in detail in this forum, but the victim told police that she had been abused hundreds of times by Toof over the six year period.
Toof was the Varsity Boys Basketball coach at BFA St. Albans for several years before he departed the school last fall. He most recently was employed at Georgia Elementary School where he taught social studies.
A letter reportedly sent by the Georgia Elementary School to all parents on Thursday morning acknowledging the charges of one of the school employees but did not name Toof in the letter. A screen capture of that letter was shared with the County Courier, though the writer of the letter is unknown by this news agency.
“At this time, we are unaware of any other sexual misconduct by the teacher or any other [Georgia Elementary School] employees. We will be cooperating with law enforcement and supporting our children and families. Student safety is always the District’s highest priority,” the letter says.
According to the court file, the girl was a student at Georgia Elementary when the abuse began. Two DCF reports were filed as early as June of 2016, reporting inappropriate behavior between Toof and the victim listed in the case. According to the investigating Deputy, Detective Sergeant Mark Lauer of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, DCF did not find any credible evidence to proceed with an investigation at that time.
At least one of those reports indicated that someone saw Toof inappropriately touch the 6th-grade girl’s butt, as well as flirtatious behavior between the two.
According to Lauer, there was no indication to date during his investigation that the victim or the parent knew a report was made to DCF in 2016.
Thursday’s letter to parents from Georgia Elementary School officials says “Where there is notice of behavior that could be abuse, we report it to DCF and the Agency of Education. We also remove any employees accused of that kind of misconduct from the workplace until the matter has been fully investigated.”
It is unclear if Toof missed any days of work in 2016 when the DCF investigation was reported at that time.
Toof was a BFA St. Albans graduate and has resided in the St. Albans area his entire life with the exception of when he attended college out of state, according to Toof’s public defender.
Toof was charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault as well as Lewd and Lascivious Conduct with a minor. If convicted of the Aggravated Sexual Assault charge, Toof may face a sentence of up to life in prison, with a minimum of 25 years. He pleaded not guilty to both charges in criminal court in St. Albans.
During the arraignment on Thursday afternoon, prosecutors asked for Toof to be held without bail, citing the possibility of a life sentence. His defense attorney argued that conditions of release, including a 24-hour curfew and being released into the custody of a responsible adult, could ensure the public’s safety.
The prosecutor asked the court to order a no-contact order between Toof and three individuals identified only by their initials. The affidavit indicates that one of those people was the victim, and the other two are related to the victim. According to the court file, the victim was a student of Toof’s, and the abuse began when she was 11 years old.
Toof’s parents were seated within the courtroom during the arraignment and were willing to take custody of their son if released by the court, according to Toof’s attorney.
Judge Howard VanBenthuysen denied the defense’s request to release Toof but said he would set a hearing date for next week to determine the possibility of releasing Toof. At least for now, Toof will continue to be held at Northwestern Correctional Center without bail.
This is the second school employee arrested for sex charges in Franklin County in the past year. In May, Paul Ladd was arrested for sexual assault, related to multiple instances at Enosburg Falls High School, according to court records.
