An NDSS librarian was fired after inappropriate books were found in the school's collection. It was the latest in long history of disciplinary actions against Matthew Lettington. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

reprimand

Nanaimo teacher librarian fired for checking out inappropriate book to NDSS student

Apr 21, 2021 | 5:30 PM

NANAIMO — A librarian at a Nanaimo secondary school was fired for having an inappropriate book in circulation, following numerous disciplinary actions by the school district.

The BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation published a consent resolution on Tuesday, April 19, revealing NDSS teacher-librarian Matthew Lettington was fired.

Lettington was fired from the school back in December, 2019 for introducing a graphic novel called “La lesbienne invisible” and checking it out to a Grade 8 student whose parent later complained.

The consent resolution said Lettington had purchased the graphic novel for the school but identified it as something unsuitable for students based on images of “nudity, sexual acts and drug use.” However, instead of discarding it, the commissioner said Lettington set it aside in a larger pile of books to review.

The graphic novel was placed into circulation by a coworker on a day Lettington wasn’t working. He never corrected the mistake and it was available to students for roughly one week before the Grade 8 student checked it out.

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This was not the first time Lettington was chastised for having inappropriate materials available at the library.

A graphic novel was flagged by a parent in January, 2018, which was removed from the collection after staff met with Lettington.

The resolution revealed Lettington has a troubled history within the school district.

He was suspended for 20 days in March, 2009 for inappropriate behaviour, which included out of school meals, conversations online and posting on students’ social media. This lead to his first consent resolution agreement in 2013 where his qualifications were suspended for 30 days.

He was then disciplined and suspended again in June, 2016 under orders to avoid any behaviour perceived as “grooming” and to not contact his students under any alias or with anything other than his school email account.

A second consent resolution agreement was signed in 2017 for behaviour several years earlier in his photography class, which included lewd comments engaging in non-sexual boundary violations.

He agreed to complete a Justice Institute of B.C. course called “Creating a Positive Learning Environment.”

In the most recent consent resolution, Lettington entered into an agreement where he admitted to professional misconduct and was officially reprimanded.

The commissioner Howard L. Kushner did not take advantage of the options available in the Teachers Act, which included stripping Lettington of his qualifications.

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