School worker in sex video loses bid for jobless benefits

Iowa Workforce Development manages unemployment claims filed on behalf of Iowans. (Photo by Getty Images, logo courtesy the State of Iowa)

A special-education aide working for the Muscatine public schools has been fired for allegedly posting to social media a sexually oriented video of himself.

State records indicate Wyatt L. Mason began working for the Muscatine Community School District as a full-time special-education aide in September 2023.

On Feb. 16 of this year, the district became aware that at some point in time, a video had been posted to Mason’s public Twitter account showing him masturbating. The district fired Mason four days later, citing a violation of the district policy on employees’ use of social media. That policy prohibits social media posts that disrupt the educational process or put at risk a worker’s effectiveness as a school district employee.

An Iowa Workforce Development representative later determined there was no evidence of willful or deliberate misconduct, clearing the way for Mason to collect unemployment benefits. That led to an appeal by the district and a recent hearing before Administrative Law Judge Carly Smith, who denied Mason benefits.

“(Mason) intentionally filmed himself masturbating and then deliberately posted the video on his Twitter account,” Smith stated in her ruling. “This account was public so students or family members of the students could view the video. This violated the employer’s social media policy and the employee conduct policy.”

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