A St. Paul teacher and coach served a 10-day suspension this year after his personal computer was seen displaying a pornographic website in his classroom.
Michael Shaw, who teaches human geography and coaches girls tennis at Highland Park High School, opened his personal laptop to take attendance Feb. 22 before leaving to monitor students in the hallway.
A student sitting near Shaw’s desk heard “inappropriate noises,” then took out a cellphone to record video of Shaw’s computer screen, according to a discipline letter signed by an assistant superintendent.
When Shaw returned to his desk to help another student, he saw “an inappropriate picture of a woman” and quickly closed out of the web browser.
Three class periods later, students informed Shaw there was video circulating of his computer screen. The teacher then told school administrators what had happened.
Shaw told a school district investigator that his laptop was displaying an inappropriate video when its battery died days several days prior. He wasn’t able to charge the computer until he returned to the school.
He said he did not mean to display the video at school.
In the discipline letter, Shaw was instructed to use only work-issued technology when he’s at school and to stay away from pornographic websites.
Shaw first worked for the school district in 1998. He has no prior discipline.
He could not be reached for comment.