Ohio State Rep. Barrett Shows Nude Photos During Student Presentation ***UPDATED*** Barrett Resigns

...at my former high school. I would like to note that I didn't vote for him.

Back to the story. Rep. Matt Barrett (D-58th District) was showing a powerpoint presentation to a government class at Norwalk High School when a picture of a nude woman appeared. Why he wouldn't preview the presentation remains a mystery. He said he never used the flashdrive until now. I would want to make sure it worked before giving a presentation. But, hey, Democrats are not known for their intelligence.

A state representative briefly flashed a photo of a topless woman to a class of high school seniors yesterday.

State Rep. Matt Barrett, D-58th district, was at Norwalk High School yesterday to give a presentation on the state legislative process.

Barrett said he has no idea how the photo got onto the flash drive he plugged into the computer.
Before beginning with his presentation, Barrett said, he inserted his flash drive into a computer belonging to the class instructor.

What flashed onto the screen was not a PowerPoint presentation about state government, but an ''inappropriate picture of a female,'' Barrett said.

''It took me probably a second or so to look at it and say, 'That's not the Power Point,''' Barrett said, adding that the image was off the screen within seconds. He said the pictures was on the screen so briefly, the instructor didn't even notice the image.

''It was extremely embarrassing and we had no clue that anything like that was on there,'' Barrett said.

After his presentation, Barrett said he spoke to the principal of the school, the district superintendent and the information technologies director.

''I sat down and gave them my laptop,'' Barrett said.

Norwalk City Schools Superintendent Wayne Babcanec said Barrett was cooperative and forthcoming with officials.

Babcanec said police took statements from each of the 19 students in the senior social studies class and the school attempted to reach the parents of all the students.

Norwalk police Capt. Eric Hipp said detectives were working on the investigation. Hipp said he could not comment further because an incident report was not complete yet.

''Some of the students didn't even notice the pictures, they were up so quickly,'' Babcanec said.
''Mr. Barrett was embarrassed and apologetic. I believe this was an unfortunate and unintended incident,'' Babcanec said.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was also called to investigate because Barrett is a state employee. The Highway Patrol still has his computer and flash drive, Barrett said.

Lt. Tony Bradshaw, Highway Patrol spokesman, said in addition to interviewing students, the agency will analyze what's on the computer and flash drive to try to see where it came from.

''I volunteered my computer -- absolutely,'' Barrett said. ''We're trying to get to the bottom of this. What is it and how is it on there?''

Barrett said the flash drive he was using belongs to him, but was given to him as a gift from the State Library of Ohio. He said he believes many legislators and aides received them.

***UPDATE***

Supposedly; it was "his child" that put the nude photo's on his flash drive. Sure it was.

A minor child in State Rep. Matt Barrett's home downloaded photos of topless women that Barrett accidentally showed during a presentation to Norwalk High School students Tuesday morning, according to the Ohio Democratic Caucus.

Barrett, when reached by phone last night, declined further comment and referred the reporter to the caucus' statement.

''From what we have learned thus far this is an internal family matter,'' Barrett said in a statement given by Phil Saken, communications director for the Ohio Democratic Caucus. ''We want to put this behind us.''
House Democratic Leader Joyce Beatty said the apparent mishap is not a political issue.

''I don't think it's a political situation because he made it very clear he didn't download or do this,'' she said in a statement.

[originally posted 10/4/07 12:37am]

 

***UPDATE 4/25/08 1:45AM***

Well it comes as no surprise to me that Rep. Barrett was less than truthful about how the nude photo appeared on his flash drive. Now, he has resigned.

The Ohio House Democratic leader says a state lawmaker whose computer displayed an image of a topless woman during a presentation to high schoolers has resigned.

[...]

Democratic leader Joyce Beatty said today that Barrett acknowledged not being truthful about the matter and she immediately demanded his resignation. "It became clear that Rep. Barrett had not been forthright with me and his colleagues," Beatty said in a statement.

A spokesman for House Democrats declined to elaborate.

 

***UPDATE 4/25/08 3:05PM***

Fmr. Rep. Barrett decided to elaborate.

After first blaming his teenage son for an embarrassing incident involving a nude photo shown to a high-school class, state Rep. Matthew H. Barrett apparently admitted to Democratic leaders Wednesday night that not only were the pictures his, but he knew the woman in that photo and the women in other such photos.