Teacher disciplined over comments to students
Nanaimo man made questionable remarks and improperly placed images on websites
A Nanaimo teacher has been disciplined by B.C.’s Teacher Regulation Branch for actions that include making questionable comments to students and improperly placing student pictures on Facebook and Instagram.
Matthew Norman Lettington has been reprimanded and will have to complete the course “Creating a Positive Learning Environment” through the Justice Institute of B.C. by April 1.
In an agreement handed down in September, Lettington acknowledged that any breach could be seen as professional misconduct and lead to further proceedings. He agreed to a reprimand.
“The actions that were questioned occurred during the 201415 school year. In one instance, a girl in Lettington’s Grade 12 photography class told him she was going to miss a day of school, to which he responded by asking if it had to do with a boyfriend.
When told it was due to a cousin, he asked her if it was a “kissing cousin,” something that made the student feel “weird and awkward.”
While explaining a selfie project to the class, he showed students sample images and said that girls like to get their breasts in pictures, accompanied by nervous laughter. At least one student said the episode was uncomfortable.
Lettington also posted pictures of students on social media without parental consent, as required by Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district policy.
The agreement noted that Lettington has been disciplined in the past, beginning in 2009, when he was suspended for 20 days due to inappropriate interactions with students. The same facts led to a 30-day suspension of his certificate of qualification in 2013.
In 2016, he was given a letter of discipline and suspended without pay for five days, and told to use only his district email account when communicating with students and not to take any photographs of students.
While Lettington is listed as a staff member at Nanaimo District Senior Secondary School, the school district said in a statement that it can’t confirm the employment status of any employee.
“We also cannot comment on individual disciplinary matters, as they are confidential,” the statement said.
“In all matters, student safety is of utmost concern to us and we take action to address any concerns or complaints in this regard.”
Lettington did not respond to an email requesting comment.