Raemon Matthews, once respected NYC teacher, pleads guilty to sex abuse, banned from classroom

(CBS) NEW YORK- Raemon Matthews, a nationally recognized history teacher, has been barred from ever teaching again in New York City after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl, reports CBS New York.

The station reported on Monday that the 58-year-old teacher was praised for his success in the South Bronx by then U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige in 2002. Matthews' methods were applauded in various news reports.

"I give an assignment that forces kids to go to the library on 42nd Street; forces them to go to MoMA; forces them to go to a museum," he explained in 2010. "Otherwise, I take a point off their grade."

However, according to city investigators, the teacher at Samuel Gompers Career and Technical Education High School in the Bronx shocked students and faculty after he admitted to luring a 17-year-old girl into getting naked in a locked classroom, CBS New York reported. Investigators say that Matthews took racy pictures and touched the girl inappropriately.

In 2008-09 school year, Matthews told the girl she had to come after school for tutoring because she was failing, says the report. It was then that Matthews got the girl to pose for pictures, telling her she needed to have a portfolio to show colleges and employers.

The victim never reported Matthews, but officials said that a janitor cleaning Matthews' classroom found the disk with the pictures.

Students remember the girl being around Matthews a lot.

"She was in his room almost like 24-7-- selling candy, doing stuff," one of his students Kenny Martinez said, adding when asked if he suspected anything untoward was going on, "A little bit."

Matthews pleaded guilty to sex abuse and was sentenced one year probation a few months ago. The Department of Education said Matthews will never teach in the city again.

"I never expected something like that that from him," student Sony Cabrera said.