A California juvenile hall instructor who was named "Teacher of the Year" in 2022 has been removed from his job after two teens reported he hired them for sexual services, authorities say.
A California juvenile hall instructor has been placed on leave and is under criminal investigation for alleged sexual misconduct involving two teenage girls, authorities said.
Matthew Campbell, 60, is a physical education teacher at Butler Academic Center, a juvenile hall justice center in northern Alameda County.
He was named "Teacher of the Year" in 2022 by county education officials, who at the time praised his juvenile hall teaching as something that helped students "envision a brighter future for themselves," according to the Alameda County Office of Investigation website.
He has taught there for the last 15 years, according to the office.
“Upon learning of these allegations, we immediately placed the employee on leave pending a full investigation, and reported the allegations to law enforcement and Social Services. Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment any further," the education office said in a statement emailed to Inside Edition Digital this week.
Two teens currently in juvenile custody reported they recognized Campbell as a "john" who hired them for sexual services while they were being trafficked on Oakland's notorious International Boulevard, The Mercury News reported, citing multiple unnamed sources.
The girls also alleged Campbell had them assume sexual poses while he was their physical education teacher in juvenile hall, the news outlet reported.
The Oakland Police Department said it could not comment on an "open and active investigation" when contacted by Inside Edition Digital.
No charges have been filed in the investigation, which began last month, the news outlet reported.
International Boulevard is a thoroughfare in downtown Oakland infamous for crime, prostitution and drug dealing. City officials renamed the street decades ago in an attempt to revitalize its image.
But residents have continued to complain about prostitution, and documentary films, including the 2017 short film titled "Surviving International Boulevard," have chronicled child sex trafficking on the street also known as "The Blade."
Inside Edition Digital also reached out to Campbell and to his attorney on Tuesday, but has not heard back.
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