Springfield teacher put on leave, faces charges of sexual abuse, luring a minor

Article from The Register-Guard

Matthew Woodford is the Thurston Middle School band teacher, the school district said

SPRINGFIELD — A teacher at a Springfield middle school has been put on leave after being booked into the Lane County Jail on ­Friday for ­multiple child sexual abuse charges, the school district ­confirmed Saturday.

Matthew McKinley ­Woodford, 34, faces 17 charges, including luring a minor, according to jail records.

Woodford is charged with five felony counts of luring a minor, five felony counts of ­displaying child-sexual conduct and two felony counts of online sexual corruption of a child. He also was charged with five misdemeanor counts of third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Springfield School District spokeswoman Jenna ­McCulley confirmed ­Saturday that Woodford was put on leave from his job as Thurston Middle School’s music director, teaching band and orchestra, pending the police ­investigation. ­Woodford has been with the school district since 2006, ­McCulley said.

McCulley would not ­comment further, deferring to the Springfield Police Department. Springfield police did not ­immediately ­return phone calls on Saturday.

Woodford was booked into the jail about 8:30 p.m.

Woodford remained in jail as of 5 p.m. Saturday. His bond was set at $1.7 million, a jail ­official said.

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