Albemarle County teacher indictment sparks board-lawyer clash over prior reporting

Teacher Michael J. Swiney was charged with multiple felony sexual-battery counts, prompting a dispute between the school board and prosecutors over what officials knew and when.

Albemarle County teacher Michael J. Swiney, who also served as a trans-issues counselor, was indicted on seven felony aggravated sexual-battery counts, three felony indecent-liberties counts and one felony attempted aggravated sexual-battery count involving students. During Swiney's bond hearing, Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney W. Lawton Tufts expressed doubts about the school division’s trustworthiness, prompting School Board chair Rebecca Berlin to request a meeting with Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley to discuss board procedures.

At a recent board meeting, member Kate Acuff revealed she had been told by former superintendent Matthew Haas that a staffer was on administrative leave and police were involved, yet she neither asked follow-up questions nor informed other board members. Freedom-of-Information Act documents show a Title IX coordinator, Erin Stone, reported allegations in March 2025, noting that both Child Protective Services and Albemarle County Police Department were contacted but declined to open cases, and that the incident was not treated as sexual assault or harassment.

No records of those CPS or police reports have been produced, and Deputy Attorney Tufts confirmed they were never filed. The board has hired the law firm Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman to investigate the discrepancy, while a bipartisan group of residents has launched a petition to remove Acuff, requiring at least 476 signatures under Virginia Code § 24.2-233.