On the first day back from winter break, a classroom lesson at Rock Springs High School took an unexpected turn when a teacher inadvertently displayed a personal nude image on a digital projector, according to parents whose students were in the classroom.
For some, the image caused shock and distress.
“My daughter was devastated. When she got home, she immediately broke down crying,” said Elizabeth Hembry, recounting the reaction of her 17-year-old daughter, Daizy, who was among a group of special education students caught off guard by the unexpected lesson in human anatomy.
It began as a discussion on what kids did for winter break.
When it was the teacher’s turn to share, she connected her cellphone to a laptop projector.
Then came gasps from the class.
“She was trying to do something fun with the kids, talk about what they did over Christmas,” said a school staff member with knowledge of the incident, who spoke with Cowboy State Daily on the condition of anonymity.
“But she got to some pictures on her phone that were inappropriate — one that showed her nude,” the staffer said. "Of course, she unplugged the phone real fast, like, 'Oh my gosh!’”
‘I Was Shaken’
Shelbie Whiting is the legal guardian of her 18-year-old brother, Brandon Peterson, who was in the class and could be especially impacted because he has autism, Whiting said.
“Out of all the rooms, it had been the special-needs room,” she said. "That’s the part that makes me most shaken. And when I learned it was the teacher and not another student, I was definitely surprised. I was shaken.”
The sense of shock has subsided, but a feeling of uneasiness about the situation continues to hang over the incident, as Whiting and other parents take issue with what they contend has been the school’s muted response, which some say reflects a broader pattern about how the administration responds to problems.
Continued Teaching
The incident raises questions about digital safeguards in an era of tech-based instruction, and adds to mounting complaints at Sweetwater County School District No. 1 (SWSD1), like vulgar wristbands purportedly worn by administrators, along with high staff vacancies and what some parents say is a lack of transparency by the school board.
Whiting, Hembry, and others now join the district’s list of frustrated parents.
They’re upset because administrators communicated little while keeping the teacher in the classroom for another two days after the photo incident, which troubles Daizy.
“Daizy was completely upset and nervous about going to school the next day because she didn't want to see that teacher,” said Hembry. “During the next few days, she went to school but left that class and stayed in (a different teacher’s) classroom.”
The incident happened on a Monday. The teacher was placed on leave the following Thursday, according to the staff member.
Administrators did not address Cowboy State Daily’s specific questions regarding the decision to keep the teacher in the classroom, but RSHS Principal Ben Straka confirmed in a statement that the matter is under investigation.
“We do not comment on personnel matters or internal investigations, as maintaining confidentiality is essential to protecting the privacy of all individuals involved, along with protecting the integrity of investigations,” Straka told Cowboy State Daily in an emailed response.
Cowboy State Daily has confirmed the identity of the teacher, but is choosing not to publish it because the school district hasn’t confirmed her identity and hasn’t yet issued an official determination that any misconduct happened.
A Cowboy State Daily attempt to contact the teacher was not successful.
Straka said he notified parents on the day of the incident, though he provided few details.
“He just kept saying that it was under investigation, and they weren’t sure if it even had happened yet,” said Whiting, adding that no more information has been provided in the weeks since.
Yet it’s also true that Peterson was not forthcoming with school leaders about what he saw that day, she added.
“He told the principal he didn't see anything because he was embarrassed, but when he got home he told me he saw his teacher's breasts on the big screen and that he was scared of getting in trouble,” said Whiting, who interprets his withholding as a part of a general distrust toward administrators.
These responses underscore the unique challenges faced by children with autism, who often experience heightened sensitivity to unexpected sensory stimuli, according to national research on autism and classroom environments.
This means that among other stimuli, jarring or unexpected imagery can trigger maladaptive behaviors.
Vigilant
Whiting is concerned the incident will stimulate her brother’s appetite for sexual content. In years past, he’d searched for inappropriate images online of his own accord, but had since learned to abide in healthy media consumption habits.
“We haven't had any issues in the last couple years. So now I'm worried that those are gonna start coming up again because his teacher shared an inappropriate picture,” she said.
“Any time I ask him about the teacher's name, he just says, ‘I dunno,’ and he kind of shuts down,” Whiting said. "He’s embarrassed.”
Special Education Challenges
The moment also calls attention to the challenge for local school districts tasked with accommodating students who need extra help.
At Sweetwater County School District No. 1, which already copes with staff retention problems, the difficulty in accommodating special needs could be exacerbated by another round of property tax cuts under consideration in Cheyenne.
All this comes as school districts across the country face continued strain over special education funding as federal leaders seek to change the funding model for disability programs.
In the opinion of the staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity, the more pressing challenge is local administrative culture.
“The culture here is horrible. It's smoke and mirrors,” the staff member said. “The fact they didn't do anything for two days is just ridiculous. I don’t think they’d have done anything unless the parent called.”
It’s an opinion shared by Hembry, who said the incident adds to existing frustrations with what she described as the school’s minimization of her concerns over bullying.
Honest Mistake
SWSD No. 1 currently has 39 staff positions that are either vacant or filled by uncertified instructors, which is more than all of Wyoming’s other large school districts combined, according to information cited by former district board member Cole Seppie during a school board hearing in January.
Whether or not the photo mishap results in another official job vacancy remains to be seen.
All sources interviewed for this story said they don’t hold any animosity toward the teacher; they only wish the incident had been dealt with differently.
“I think it was an honest mistake, and if so that’s OK and they can find a way to bring her back,” the staff member said. "But the way the administration handled it was ridiculous."
Technology In The Classroom
In 2023, the Wyoming Department of Education updated its digital learning plan, which emphasizes digital citizenship, privacy-security, and educator training — but it doesn’t mandate specific classroom rules about personal devices.
Many states adopt guidelines from the International Society for Technology in Education, which recommends schools establish clear protocols for separating personal content from instructional use, rather than relying on individual discretion.
“I'm just surprised that the teacher was able to get [personal content] on the big screen,” said Whiting. “I know they have laptops provided by the school, so I’m surprised there was a picture like that connected to something school-related at all.”
Zakary Sonntag can be reached at zakary@cowboystatedaily.com.
