A Spokane-area high school teacher has been dismissed from his position by the West Valley School Board following a controversial classroom reading of a passage from To Kill a Mockingbird containing the N-word. Matthew Mastronardi, a US Air Force veteran, father of three, and assistant wrestling coach at the West Valley High School, was terminated by the local school board after the incident, which occurred during one of his classes. The 1960 novel, a staple in high school curriculums, is known for its frank portrayal of racial injustice in the Jim Crow-era South but has faced scrutiny in recent years for its use of racial slurs.The controversy stemmed from a video recorded by a student as part of the school’s literature program, which captured Mastronardi reading the passage aloud. .Although To Kill a Mockingbird is approved for the school’s curriculum, previous teachers at the school had instructed students to skip over racial slurs when reading aloud to avoid discomfort.Before the recording, Mastronardi had questioned the students for censoring themselves. One student spoke up to ask the teacher if 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 said. “I knew the situation was serious with 30 students watching...I saw it as a teachable moment about context and literary honesty in reading.” The footage later circulated beyond the classroom and went viral, prompting widespread attention.On April 28, Mastronardi received a verbal warning addressing the incident. Just over a week later, on May 5, he received an email from Human Resources Director Sabre Dahl requesting a meeting between the pair and School Superintendent Kyle Rydell , where he was given an ultimatum — resign voluntarily or face non-renewal of his teaching contract. .Mastronardi, who had been teaching Spanish at West Valley for several years, defended his approach in an interview with TPUSA, stating, “The controversy is unfortunate because students miss out on engaging with the text in an honest way.” He emphasized that his intent was to “foster a frank and honest classroom discussion about America’s history and literature.” Mastronardi added, “My conscience is clean, and if I could rewind to that exact moment, I would not do anything differently.”One of his students, Payton Johnson — who started a change.org petition which garnered 2,588 verified signature — supported his teacher, saying, “He was just reading out of the book and wasn’t saying [the word] to anyone or in a rude manner.” Dozens of students and community members rallied in Mastronardi’s defense, but the school district stood firm in their ruling..School board member Bob Dompier acknowledged the incident’s significance but noted additional concerns, telling NBC-affiliate KHQ, “there have been complaints received by the district from parents and students about the lack of topic content in Mr. Mastronardi’s Spanish class and complaints about off-topic discussions.” He added, “There could have been a teachable moment and discussion about the book, and that just did not happen.”Another board member, Adam Mortensen added that Mastronardi had received a written warning but indicated he would repeat the same actions."This has been insubordinate to the request of his supervisors and is an example of poor judgment," Mortensen stated..The decision has sparked broader discussions in Spokane and beyond about the boundaries of academic freedom and the role of educators in addressing sensitive topics. Mastronardi’s future in education remains uncertain, but the controversy has prompted renewed conversations about the responsibilities of educators and the importance of preserving the integrity of literary works in schools.He has expressed gratitude for the community’s support and said, “when one door shuts, God opens another one.”
