BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – Virginia State Police have arrested a former Montgomery County school employee based on Texas charges.
Court records indicate Matthew Lane Conley was arrested in Virginia February 23, 2026 as a fugitive so he could be extradited; he had allegedly fled Texas, where he faces six felony charges related to sexual assault of a child from 2015. The Montague County, TX, Sheriff’s Office put out the call for his arrest February 20, 2026.
Court records indicate he most recently worked in special education with students at Blacksburg High School. He had lived in Blacksburg for three years before his arrest, and worked for Montgomery County Schools for one year.
The following is a statement from Montgomery County Public Schools:
On February 23, Matthew Conley, a Blacksburg High School paraprofessional at the time, was arrested in connection with alleged crimes committed in Texas about 10 years ago. The allegations involve an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student at that school.
We want to be clear: these charges do not involve any of our students.
This person is no longer employed by the Montgomery County Public Schools. After the arrest, the individual was extradited to Texas.
We understand how upsetting it is to hear about allegations of this nature, even when they are not connected to our students. Student safety is our highest priority. While we cannot provide additional details about an active legal matter in another state, we are sharing what we can at this time.
It is also important to note that, at the time of hiring, this individual passed all required background checks.
We will share additional information if there is anything further we are able to confirm that is relevant to our school community.
Matthew Conley mugshot(Montgomery County Jail)
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