Washington teacher fired for saying the N-word while reading To Kill A Mockingbird
Spokane teacher Matthew Mastronardi has been fired for saying the N-word during a reading of To Kill A MockingbirdX/RealMastro21
Published on:
01 Jul 2025, 11:00 am
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. (Western Standard, July 1, 2025)