Substitute teacher at Salt Lake City middle school arrested for alleged 'lewdness' in classroom

A man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly engaging in a "lewd" act while substitute teaching at Clayton Middle School in Salt Lake City. The incident was reported by a student through the SafeUT app on March 20, detailing events that occurred two days earlier.

The student claimed that the substitute teacher, 81-year-old Morris Richard Saunders, had left the classroom to enter an office connected to the room after instructing students to take charge. When some students became unruly, one went to fetch Saunders but found him unresponsive to knocking.

Upon entering the office, the student allegedly discovered Saunders watching pornography on his personal laptop and engaging in masturbation. This alarming incident prompted the student to report it to authorities.

The Salt Lake City Police Department's Special Victims Unit investigated the case, leading to Saunders' arrest. He has been charged with lewdness involving a child, a Class A misdemeanor, and subsequently booked.

Following his arrest, Saunders was released under certain conditions, which include a prohibition on contact with minors and a requirement to regularly check in with the court.