A fourth-grade teacher in Benicia has been moved to an office job following an outcry over her relationship with an ex-teacher who is currently on trial for child sexual abuse.

Brandy Shelton is married to Matthew Shelton, 44, a former fifth grade teacher at Robert Semple Elementary School facing multiple felony counts of lewd acts with a child under 14, according to Solano County Superior Court records. The charges were brought by the Solano County District Attorney’s Office in 2024.

“When I saw ‘Shelton’ as my son’s teacher, it was a punch in the gut,” said Angelica Grigoriou, a substitute teacher in Benicia. She learned on Sunday that Brandy Shelton would be leading her eldest child’s fourth grade class at Matthew Turner Elementary School.

“If she’s not acknowledging that there are victims and children involved, and she’s not hearing those children’s voices — how is she supposed to hear my child’s voice?” said Grigoriou.

Brandy Shelton, who was set to return to class next week, was removed from the teaching position and transferred to an office role, according to a letter sent to parents on Wednesday, signed by Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Chris Calabrese.

In the meantime, the class will have a substitute teacher, Calabrese told parents.

“Ms. Shelton is moving to a position at the District office, effective immediately,” Calbrese wrote. “We are placing a skilled and experienced substitute in the class with the intention of securing our full-time teacher as quickly as possible.”

Calabrese confirmed the removal in an email, adding that “the District has carefully considered this matter consistent with our policies, employee rights, and the needs of our schools.”

The Benicia district is facing several lawsuits brought by plaintiffs alleging negligence in the hiring of Matthew Shelton and that BUSD “knew or should have known that Shelton was a danger to children,” according to the complaint, which was filed in Solano County Superior Court in 2024.

“I was shocked. I don’t want my children to be connected to this household at all,” said Grigoriou.

Grigoriou and about a dozen other parents all threatened to withdraw their kids from the class if Brandy Shelton remained at Matthew Turner Elementary.

“We were going as far as thinking maybe we’ll have to do like a homeschool cohort,” said Grigoriou.

Parents lose trust

Parents say they’ve had a hard time trusting the school district since 2024, when charges were filed against Matthew Shelton alleging he abused children for years — and was hired despite facing similar accusations in Napa.

In 2007, Matthew Shelton stood trial for multiple misdemeanor counts of child molestation and battery involving four young girls in Napa in 2007. He was terminated from Napa Valley Unified School District later that year. In 2008, a jury acquitted Matthew Shelton of the charges.

A number of NVUSD teachers wrote in support of Matthew Shelton during his 2007 trial, with one teacher alleging one of the complainants was not reliable, according to court records.

Now, parents in Benicia say the Napa allegations weren’t taken seriously enough.

“All of this would have been avoided,” said Grigoriou. “Instead, more children have been victimized.”

With little trust in the school district’s transparency, parents say they are forced to protect their kids by directly intervening in employment and safety decisions, like Brandy Shelton’s assignment as teacher at Matthew Turner Elementary.