A Spanish teacher has defended himself after being fired after reading a passage from To Kill A Mockingbird to his class that included the n-word.
Matthew Mastronardi, who worked at West Valley High School in Spokane, Washington, had overheard students discussing the classic Harper Lee novel in his classroom when he was asked to read a passage aloud, which included the n-word.
His students, according to Mastronardi, said they skipped over the controversial slur within the text as per another teacher’s instructions.
‘I was astonished and expressed disagreement, saying, “That’s silly; it undermines the book’s historical context and disrespects the author’s intent to use accurate language,”‘ the teacher wrote on X.
To Kill A Mockingbird tells the story of a white lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white woman in 1930s Alabama and deals heavily with racist abuse suffered by blacks in the south.
After Mastronardi slated the students for censoring themselves, one spoke up to ask the teacher he would read every word, including the n-word. Mastronardi said he would.
‘A male student immediately handed me the book and said, “Okay do it,”‘ he continued. ‘I knew the situation was serious with 30 students watching…I saw it as a teachable moment about context and literary honesty in reading.’
Mastronardi read the book out loud to his class, specifically a passage that included the n-word, but he had ‘no idea’ that he was being recorded by a student.
While it remains unclear if the recording was reported to school officials or if it received any complaints, Mastronardi was pulled in to discuss the matter with Principal Ryan Mulvey.
The Spanish teacher said in the meeting that he ‘acted in good faith with the desire to serve students.’
‘Furthermore, I believe what I read was not to stir trouble but to deliver value. My conscience is clean and as stated in policy, this is a free exchange of ideas, which is what I was trying to perpetuate,’ Mastronardi said.
‘Teaching kids they can interact with a text honestly and intimidation should not be used to prevent that. I was asked to read it and so I did.’
Then, on April 28, he was given a letter with a verbal warning.
Mulvey wrote that Mastronardi had engaged in ‘unprofessional communication’ with his students.
He determined that Mastronardi had ‘failed to communicate in a civil manner, failed to maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning by consistently maintaining professional boundaries, and did not maintain the highest professional standards.’
The verbal warning declared that the teacher had violated the Districts Civility and Professional Staff Student Boundaries policy and ordered him to refrain from using the language again.
On May 6, Mastronardi was called for a meeting with the Human Resources Director Sabre Dahl and Principal Mulvey during which he was informed he could ‘either voluntarily resign or face the non-renewal’ of his contract.
Mastronardi, however, argued his case and wrote to rebuke the warning.
‘This rebuttal is necessary because the actions taken against me are wholly unjustified… It is not uncivil, nor unprofessional to read a passage from a school approved novel,’ he wrote.
‘Words should not be skipped over simply because they make us uncomfortable, especially when the usage is essential to describe and understand the historical context.’
Then, come May 8, Mastronardi was served with a non-renewal notice by Superintendent Kyle Rydell which claimed the teacher exercised ‘poor judgement’ and that the school had concerns for his ‘ability to serve as a positive role model.’
Mastronardi wrote on X that he requested evidence for the claims listed, ‘but none was provided.’
As the battle for his job continued, the Spanish teacher met with the superintendent to ‘urge reconsideration.’
‘During the meeting, they repeatedly stated the decision wasn’t solely due to the TKAM incident,’ he wrote. ‘When I asked, “What other reasons contributed to my termination?” they provided no specifics.’
Mastronardi further claimed there had been ‘no parent complaints, no documented disciplinary actions, and I’ve passed every teaching evaluation.’
‘The superintendent admitted relying on “hearsay” for part of his decision. Two union representatives, taking notes, attested to this.’
Yet, it was still recommended his contract not be renewed.
‘My students are very upset,’ Mastronardi wrote.
One freshman student even took it upon himself to create a Change.org petition in support of the teacher.
‘He’s a really good teacher,’ the student, Payton Johnson, told Frontlines. ‘He was just reading out of the book. He wasn’t saying it to anyone or, like, in a rude manner.’
The petition calls for the school to reinstate Mastronardi and said the ‘beloved educator’ is ‘unjustly facing termination over a misunderstanding.’
‘This decision strikes at the heart of educational integrity and the role educators play in exposing students to important historical contexts that foster critical thinking,’ the petition said.
‘We urge the administrative body of West Valley High School and the wider Spokane education authorities to reconsider this course of action.
‘Not only is this decision detrimental to a well-regarded teacher’s career, but it also diminishes the richness of the educational experience provided to students by limiting exposure to important, albeit challenging, literature.’
The petition garnered a total of 654 signatures come Thursday morning.
A GiveSendGo was created by the Spanish teacher to help his family through the transition period, with a large portion intended to be donated to support educational efforts toward free speech.
Mastronardi, a husband and father of ‘three beautiful children,’ is set to plead his case at a board meeting on June 25.
‘This is my final appeal to save my job,’ he wrote.