Middletown Superintendent Fired — Not For His DUI Case, But A Major Clerical Oversight

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Less than a week after being placed on administrative leave amid a drunken driving investigation in Florida, Alberto Vazquez Matos is gone as Middletown's superintendent of school's.

But Matos undoing was, in the end, not because of that.

He failed to renew his credentials, a process due at the beginning of the school year, the school board said.

The decision to terminate the employment of Matos was made at a school board meeting Tuesday night. According to state education officials, Connecticut superintendents must renew their professional educator certificate every five years, and that includes completing at least 90 hours of continuing education work.

Said Chris Cardella, a board member authorized to speak on behalf of the Middletown Board of Education:

"On Nov ember 18, 2025, the Middletown Board of Education was notified by the State Department of Education that the superintendent certification for Dr. Alberto Vazquez Matos, a requirement of all superintendents in Connecticut, lapsed as of September 16, 2025 and was not maintained. Dr. Vazquez Matos failed to maintain certification, in violation of his contract and statutory requirements for employment as the city's superintendent. Therefore by the terms of his contract, his employment was terminated by his own actions.

"The Middletown Board of Education has been working diligently to address the situation presented by the superintendent’s employment issues. The board has done so in fulfillment of the trust that the voters of Middletown placed upon those elected officials."

Six days ago, the Middletown Board of Education placed the 51-year-old Matos on leave as the Florida driving under the influence charge surfaced. He is also accused of possessing valid driver's licenses in both Connecticut and Florida.

Matos was hired in Middletown in 2021 as acting superintendent, and then the appointment was made permanent a year later.

An official board of education statement hinted at the certification issue when it said, "In making its decision, the board considered recent reports of his out-of-state arrest in July 2025 that resulted in multiple charges, as well as the context of ongoing concerns regarding his overall employment performance."

The board met Sunday to pinpoint an interim superintendent.

It continued, "duties typically performed by the Superintendent will be performed by Central Office Administrators pending the appointment of an acting superintendent."

Said Cardella, "Middletown citizens have entrusted the elected board of education with proper oversight of the school district and its superintendent. The board takes that obligation seriously and appreciates the communications that it has received from many community members relating to the impact of this situation on the district and the students of Middletown. The Board appreciates the support of the community in this difficult situation."

According to the Hillsbrough County Clerk of Courts records site, Matos was charged with driving under the influence on July 29. He is also accused of having two "valid" driver's licenses in Connecticut and Florida, which incurs a criminal charge.

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So far, the official word from school system officials is, "The Middletown Public Schools district does not comment on individual personnel matters," but a more detailed statement could be imminent.

A school system spokesman Friday said he was not authorized to speak on the matter. Thursday's meeting was also not live-streamed.

WFSB included in a report law enforcement body cam footage of the arrest with Matos wearing what appears to be a Middletown interscholastic athletics shirt and failing field sobriety tests miserably.