Teacher, 24, who expressed his love for a young female student in a three-page handwritten letter and showered her with gifts learns his fate
- Nicholas Latella banned from teaching
- He was at Perth’s Como Secondary College
- Found to have engaged in serious misconduct with female student
A young teacher has been banned from the classroom for more than a year after writing a three-page letter expressing his feelings to a female student who he repeatedly told was his ‘favourite’.
Nicholas Latella, 24, had taught at Como Secondary College, in Perth, but was found to have failed to maintain professional boundaries with one high schooler.
He asked to meet up with the girl outside of school hours, and gifted her two pairs of earrings and a plushie toy.
His career eventually came to a halt when the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia received a complaint from the Department of Education in March, 2021 that alleged Mr Latella had engaged in serious misconduct.
Upon further investigation, a State Administrative Tribunal found this month Mr Latella was unfit to work as a teacher, banning him from applying to be registered for 16 months.
Nicholas Latella, 24, had taught at Como Secondary College (pictured), in Perth, but was found to have failed to maintain professional boundaries with one high schooler
The tribunal heard that in November, 2020, the student was disappointed after not receiving a leadership position at school.
After consoling the girl, Mr Latella then asked her to write him a letter explaining what happened and what he meant to her.
‘He also suggested they ‘hang out’ after she graduated school and get ‘bubble tea’ and the female student’s friend could also ‘hang out’ with them,’ the tribunal’s findings read.
The student explained what happened with the position in a letter, and said she thought of Mr Latella as a brother.
Mr Latella then responded with his own handwritten letter, but told the student not to tell anyone about the note.
‘The female student was ‘disturbed’ by this and viewed it as a ‘major red flag’,’ the tribunal found.
The teacher had expressed his feelings to the student in the three-page letter, telling her she was his favourite and that he ‘would be an amazing brother’ to her.
The student was emotionally distressed by the letter.
During that same year, Mr Latella had showered her in gifts and told her on numerous times she was his favourite.
The pair did not meet nor did Mr Latella contact her outside of school hours.
Mr Latella faced the tribunal on March 2 and admitted he engaged in serious misconduct that registered him unfit to be a teacher.
He voluntarily cancelled his teaching registration in November, 2021.
The inappropriate behaviour was found to have occurred at a time when Mr Latella was ‘experiencing difficulties’ in his personal life, and was receiving counselling.
‘Mr Latella expressed remorse and demonstrated a level of insight into his behaviour,’ the findings concluded.