Mendocino County DA Recuses Himself From Case Against Former Teacher and MendoFever Publisher
Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster recused himself from considering charges against Matt LaFever, a 37-year-old Hopland resident and former Ukiah High School journalism teacher, following LaFever's arrest on suspicion of knowingly annoying or molesting a minor, according to reporting by The Mendocino Voice.
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LaFever, who was also the publisher of the local news site MendoFever, was arrested Nov. 3, 2025, after Ukiah police said he was accused of asking a 17-year-old girl to send him inappropriate photos while also sending photos of himself. The Ukiah Unified School District placed him on leave after first learning of the allegations in October 2025. MendoFever, the news site LaFever published, has since gone offline; its domain currently shows only a generic hosting placeholder page. Reached by phone shortly after his arrest, LaFever declined to discuss the charges, according to a report by journalist Thomas Peele, originally published by SFGATE and reprinted by EdSource.
Why the DA stepped aside
Eyster assigned the case to a senior attorney in his office rather than handling it himself. Asked why, he pointed to LaFever's own past reporting on him.
"I did that because there's been times where Matt LaFever or Mike Geniella reporting for Matt LaFever have been critical of me, so I didn't want people to think that I had a grudge," Eyster told The Mendocino Voice. "So I referred it to one of my senior attorneys who has no clue who Matt LaFever is, to handle and decide what should happen."
Eyster also described a heavy caseload that limits how much local news coverage he follows. "I don't read a lot of the media ... if I had time to read [local news], I wouldn't have time to read another police report to get my job done," he said.
Where the case stands
As of this writing, LaFever faces suspicion of a criminal charge and has not been convicted of any crime. The case now sits with a senior attorney in the DA's office rather than Eyster himself. CalWire will follow up if the case reaches a formal charging decision or court date.
Frequently asked
What is Matt LaFever accused of?
Ukiah police say he is suspected of knowingly annoying or molesting a minor, tied to allegations he asked a 17-year-old girl for inappropriate photos and sent photos of himself. He has not been convicted.
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Why did the district attorney recuse himself?
David Eyster said he stepped aside because LaFever's news site had published stories critical of him, and he didn't want the case to look like it was influenced by a grudge.
What happened to MendoFever?
The local Mendocino County news site LaFever published has gone offline. Its domain currently shows only a placeholder hosting page.
This report is based on original reporting by Sydney Fishman for The Mendocino Voice, and by Thomas Peele, originally published by SFGATE and reprinted by EdSource. Read The Mendocino Voice's full coverage at mendovoice.com.