Delco elementary school teacher charged with masturbating in public at two locations

A fifth-grade teacher at a school in Haverford Township was seen masturbating in public at a cemetery in Ambler, officials said Tuesday.

And while Matthew Gagat was freed on bail, awaiting criminal proceedings in that case, he was caught again after allegedly exposing himself at a park in Sellersville.

Gagat, 47, of Horsham, has been charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness, and disorderly conduct in the two incidents, one reported in March at Whitemarsh Cemetery in Ambler, and another June 27 at Lenape Park in Sellersville.

Gagat remains freed on $10,000 unsecured bail, court records show. He declined to comment on his criminal charges when contacted by a reporter. His attorney, Ellis Klein, did not immediately return a request for comment.

In a statement sent to parents Tuesday, Haverford Township Superintendent Maureen Reusche said that the district only became aware of Gagat’s arrests Monday evening after North Penn Now, which first reported on the alleged crimes, contacted them. Officials, she said, would provide information and support as soon as they could.

“The challenge for a school system in these moments is to appropriately address our community’s concerns while maintaining the procedures — both in the criminal justice system and as a District employee — that the individual is entitled to under the law,” Reusche said in her statement. “As both processes evolve, we will do our best to share as much information as we can share, with sensitivity and transparency.”

Gagat is still listed on the district’s directory as working at Lynnewood Elementary School.

Police in Horsham Township said a couple walking their dog in Whitemarsh Cemetery saw Gagat masturbating there on March 3, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. At first, the two thought he was urinating, but later saw that he had undone his pants and was touching himself.

When the two returned to their vehicle, they again saw Gagat, this time “actively masturbating” as he walked behind a woman, the affidavit said.

Gagat denied masturbating when questioned by police, saying he was urinating on a tree while walking through the cemetery to “clear his mind.”

That case is pending in Montgomery County Court.

Months later, Perkasie police were called to Lenape Park in Sellersville on June 27 for reports of a man who was masturbating along a walking trail, according to court filings. The woman who had called the officers told them that the man had been standing on the opposite side of a river from her, and appeared to be staring at her as he touched himself.

Officers later encountered Gagat, whose distinctive clothing, including a black cutoff T-shirt, matched the description of the man seen masturbating, the affidavit said.

Again, Gagat denied doing so when questioned.

He is scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage for a preliminary hearing in his Bucks County case on Aug. 6.