Termination looming after BC teaching assistant refused to take down OnlyFans account

Kristin Macdonald, the controversial BC teaching assistant and OnlyFans content creator, believes her days in education will soon be over.

It’s been one month since MacDonald, who worked as a TA for students with special needs at a Port Coquitlam secondary school, received a cease and desist letter from the Coquitlam School District instructing her to remove her OnlyFans account and supporting social media pages.

“Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination,” the letter read.

During a disciplinary hearing last week, according to MacDonald, an investigative committee from the district presented her with evidence of her off-duty conduct that they have compiled in recent weeks. This included over 70 printouts of her social media images, her quotes from news media articles, and even research into OnlyFans – where under the name “Ava James,” the 35-year-old single mother says she makes much-needed extra income to support her daughter.

“They admitted to getting an OnlyFans subscriber account,” she told Daily Hive, adding the committee also “heavily alluded” to then paying for a subscription to her OnlyFans page, which includes adult content. “I kind of felt like they were poking at me being like, ‘yeah, we saw what you’re doing’ or whatever.”

The district did not respond to Daily Hive for comment regarding her claims.

The alleged purchase of OnlyFans memberships is just part of the contentious back-and-forth between MacDonald and the district. As of May 26, MacDonald, who is on non-paid (including no EI) medical leave for a back injury, is still an employee of the district. But based on recent events and interactions with the investigation committee, MacDonald expects to be fired. Now, it’s just a matter of time.

“I mean, they could draw it out, or they can tell me next week that I’m terminated,” she says.

Since MacDonald first shared her story publicly in an exclusive to Daily Hive on May 4, she has garnered national attention sparking both legal and ethical debates.

Some have defended MacDonald’s choice to create adult content on OnlyFans, saying the two jobs are separate. Some suggest it’s time to think of adult content creators as any other side gig, and therefore would be similar to a teacher serving tables at night. And more have criticized the wages that educators are being paid, leading to a larger conversation about the rising cost of living.

Meantime, on the other side of the coin, her story has sparked condemnation from those who disagree with her choice to create adult content, pointing to a direct ethical conflict with her job in education and the sensitive nature of working with kids with special needs especially. And some have just flat-out attacked MacDonald’s physical appearance.

“I feel like I’ve gotten far more support than I have judgments,” MacDonald says. “Obviously, there’s been lots of comments online. I’ve even had people come up to me in the grocery store.”

Not to mention a growing social media presence in recent weeks.

@ava_james88 ♬ Give It To Me Timbaland – Walley Ponch

While MacDonald spoke to the media, the district stayed fairly quiet. They denied interview requests, citing privacy as the reason. But behind closed doors, the case against MacDonald was building.

MacDonald says for every interview she gave, the district sent her another “adverse report” for breaching confidentiality. MacDonald estimates she has received “around 25” write-ups.

In the first in-person meeting between the investigation committee and MacDonald, along with her union representative, Randy Kootte, on May 16, she says the district read over 40 written comments from her colleagues.

“I felt that it was very discriminatory,” she says. “The statements were all extremely negative. They made comments on my appearance, how I don’t belong in a school, that they can’t look at me the same way because of what I’m doing. It was all opinion-based comments.”

In the third and most recent meeting on May 23, according to MacDonald, the district displayed and asked her to explain the context of over 70 racy images from her social media as well as specific quotes she disclosed to the news media.

She says that the committee has accused MacDonald of harming the reputation of the district.

“What is really hurting their reputation, in my opinion, is how they’ve treated me as a human being,” MacDonald contends. “I’ve been shamed in these meetings.”

It was also at that meeting, the allegation of the district subscribing to an OnlyFans account was revealed, she says.

“They told me that [OnlyFans] doesn’t do any ID verification, they just make you consent that you’re over the age of 18,” says MacDonald, apparently suggesting that students would have relatively easy access to her content.

She adds: “People need to police their own children and put the proper safeguards in place that they don’t want them looking at that stuff.”

Daily Hive reached out to the district on May 26 for fact check and comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.

MacDonald says the committee also accused her of leveraging her newfound notoriety to build up her following on OnlyFans and social media, but she denies that.

“​​They said that they had screenshots of my Instagram at 10,000 followers, even though I think it was at like, 17,000 when this all started,” MacDonald says (her Instagram page currently sits at over 21,400 followers).

Kootte, the president of Cupe 561, the workers union that represents MacDonald, told Daily Hive that the union will continue to back her even in the event of her possible termination.

“The union does not believe that Kristin’s off-duty conduct violated any company policies or collective agreement provisions,” says Kootte. “I don’t want to comment any further pending the ongoing investigation.”

Against the advice of the union and district, MacDonald will continue to speak to the media. She acknowledges that fighting her battle publically is likely sealing her fate as a teaching assistant. But she believes this is for a greater cause.

“My body and only mine”: Teaching assistant warned to take down her #OnlyFans page

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/KH9x0CHnvO pic.twitter.com/wFHjz10A9U

— Daily Hive Vancouver (@DailyHiveVan) May 6, 2023

“What I hope the final outcome will be is that this situation sets a precedent for other people in similar situations where maybe they are being discriminated against based on doing some sort of sex work,” says MacDonald. “I would like to see policies and employers be more accepting and progressive with their opinion and outlook on sex work. Because sex work is still work.”

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