Clayton teacher charged with murder in death of stepson to lose job

A Clayton County elementary school teacher facing murder charges in the death of his disabled stepson will lose his job with the school district, superintendent Luvenia Jackson confirmed Monday.

The board of education voted 6-2 recently to terminate Michael David Smith, a teacher at Roberta T. Smith Elementary in Rex. Jackson declined to discuss the case.

Smith was charged with murder and child cruelty, both in the second degree, earlier this summer after police said he left his 11-year-old disabled stepson Ty Lee in the bathtub to tend to his three other children. The boy, who was autistic and used a wheelchair, had no physical marks or signs of abuse when Clayton police arrived at the home on June 28.

Smith apparently had no prior criminal history nor had the Department of Family and Children Services been to the Morrow home in the past.