SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – West Valley School Board held a special hearing on Wednesday morning that ended with a vote to not renew a teacher’s contract after saying the n-word while reading in his class.
The passionate meeting ended in a vote for the non-renewal of Matthew Mastronardi’s contract for the upcoming school year.
Supporters of Mastronardi, a Spanish teacher, argued that he should not lose his position for reading a passage from “To Kill a Mockingbird” that included the N-word.
They appealed to the board, emphasizing his importance to the students and community.
However, some speakers opposed Mastronardi’s actions, stating that reading the passage was inappropriate for a Spanish class and failed to consider the discomfort it might cause some students.
Before the vote, school board members explained that the English Department had discussed how to handle the passage appropriately. They acknowledged the book’s literary significance, but stated that reading the word aloud was unnecessary.
Parents and students were given the option to opt out of that part of the lesson, a choice Mastronardi did not offer in his classroom.
The board also cited other reasons for the non-renewal, including complaints about curriculum adherence, the use of unlicensed third-party software, and Mastronardi’s indication to a supervisor that he would repeat his actions if faced with the same scenario.
