Image Credit: Clarksville Online & Montgomery Central High School / Facebook
Tennessee Conservative News [By Paula Gomes] –
The victim of now resigned Clarksville science teacher Matthew Gay Vedder who showed her nude photos on his phone spoke out about her ordeal at the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) Board of Education meeting last week.
While Vedder is currently under investigation regarding his actions toward only one victim, then 17-year-old Makenzie Ellithorpe, the now 18-year-old stated that she has heard from many other students whose concerns about Vedder were dismissed by officials at Montgomery Central High School.
“I have had girls come to me and tell me how unheard they felt when they reported concerns about Matthew Vedder,” Makenzie said, “I’ve listened to students talk about how they felt ignored. I’ve listened to students talk about how they felt dismissed.”
Educator Sexual Abuse experts report that offenders are often enabled by other teachers that predators work with as well as school administrators.
Most children that are victims of this crime – one out of four girls and one out of six boys under the age of eighteen – never speak out.
Charol Shakeshaft, an educational researcher on the topic of educator sexual abuse and author of “Organizational Betrayal: How Schools Enable Sexual Misconduct and How to Stop It” has acted as an expert witness in cases of sexual misconduct by teachers says that at least 17 percent of U.S. school children have been abused by people they are supposed to trust.
According to Shakeshaft, there is no specific profile that predators are drawn to, other than the victim being in some way “vulnerable” and that those that commit such crimes are just as likely to be an outstanding teacher as they are a “crummy” one.
Shakeshaft says that many of the educators that target children and teens display behaviors such as crossing boundaries that their fellow teachers may not report.
Terri Miller, President of Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct & Exploitation (SESAME) says that predatory teachers typically are employed by three school systems before being caught.
These “mobile molesters” can have up to 73 victims in their lifetime.
“You have failed us. You have failed at keeping students safe,” Makenzie told board members. “You have failed at protecting students from predators.”
Vedder is married to CMCSS Director of Schools Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder who has recused herself from investigation or disciplinary proceedings having to do with her husband.
Makenzie’s mother, Ashley Ellithorpe, called for Luna-Vedder’s resignation during public comment.
Following his resignation a month after allegations over his conduct came to light, the case against Vedder has been reassigned to the Sumner County District Attorney General’s Office in the 18th Judicial District after the 19th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office recused itself.
Until recently, Tennessee had no law that protected minors from sexual exploitation by criminalizing grooming behavior. Lawmakers passed the “Tennessee Anti-Grooming Act” earlier this year which is set to go into effect on July 1st, 2026.
The new law explicitly defines grooming behavior and beefs up existing child protection laws through the creation of a misdemeanor or felony offense for adults who engage in the practice of grooming minors or persons who are “mentally compromised.”
The offense of grooming carries a range of penalties from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class B felony depending on a variety of factors which include the severity of the offense, the position of trust or authority the offender had over a victim, and the ages of both offender and victim.
According to peer-reviewed scientific literature, between 35-45 percent of all children who have been sexually abused have been subject to “predatory behavioral patterns” aka grooming, prior to the actual sexual contact offense.
Related:
Additional Sources:
https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/clarksville/nude-photo-teacher-victim-school-board-meeting
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
She should resign. Public “education is terminally infested with lucifer’s accursed dimmercraps who either condone or overlook these crimes.