Middletown Superintendent Placed On Leave Amid Drunken Driving Charge

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The Middletown Board of Education Thursday night placed its superintendent on administrative leave amid a drunken driving charge out of Florida.

Alberto Vazquez Matos, 51, was hired in Middletown in 2021 as acting superintendent and then the appointment was made permanent a year later.

The unanimous vote to place Matos on paid administrative leave is effective immediately, according to an official board of education statement.

"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 statement said.

The board is scheduled to convene on Sunday "to begin the process of identifying and appointing an acting superintendent of schools, according to the statement.

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

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

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.