Celia Lashlie

In 1984, Lashlie became a probation officer in the Hutt Valley, and in 1985 she was appointed as a prison officer at Rimutaka Prison, becoming the first woman in that role in a New Zealand men's prison.{{cite news | title= Lashlie: 'iconic, remarkable woman' | date=18 February 2015 | work=Dominion Post | page=2 | first1=Deidre | last1=Mussen | first2=Liam | last2=Hyslop}} She was later the manager of Christchurch Women's Prison for almost four years until September 1999.

Lashlie was appointed as a transition manager for the Nelson Specialist Education Service (SES) in 2000, but in April 2001 she was controversially removed from that position following a speech in which she spoke about a hypothetical five-year-old boy who was "blond, with the most angelic face you can imagine and he is coming to prison ... and he is probably going to kill someone on his way."{{cite news | title=Blond killer doesn't exist | date=23 April 2001 | work=Evening Post | page=15}} Her sacking led to the Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard, ordering an inquiry into the matter by the State Services Commission.{{cite news | title=Lashlie report due next week | date=4 May 2001 | work=Nelson Mail | page=3}} As a result of the commission's report, the chairman of SES, Graham Lovelock, lost his job.{{cite news | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=190299 | title='Boy who could kill' row claims second casualty | date=22 May 2001 | work=New Zealand Herald | access-date=15 March 2015 | first=Alison | last=Horwood}} During the controversy, Lashlie was approached by Nelson College headmaster Salvi Gargiulo to advise the school on discipline in its boarding houses.{{cite news | title=Nelson high schools seek Lashlie's help | date=15 May 2001 | work=Nelson Mail | page=1}}

The work with Nelson College led to the "Good Man" project, where Lashlie worked with teenagers in 25 boys' schools in New Zealand, and advised parents on how to raise boys through her book He'll be OK. She spoke widely on the subject in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the United States.

Lashlie was the subject of a 2018 Amanda Millar documentary Celia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/film-reviews/106126869/celia-a-timely-cleareyed-and-necessary-kiwi-documentary|title=Celia: A timely, clear-eyed and necessary Kiwi documentary|website=Stuff|language=en|access-date=13 October 2018}} The documentary followed the last year of Lashlie's life, using archive footage and interviews with colleagues.

The Celia Lashlie Trust was launched in October 2018.{{Cite web|title=Celia Lashlie|url=https://ngataonga.org.nz/set/item/555|access-date=2021-02-02|website=ngataonga.org.nz|language=en}} The Trust's purpose is to work on issues to affect social change, with a particular focus on working with women and at-risk families.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

Born in Taihape in 1953,{{cite news | title=Advocate believed in pushing boundaries | date=21 February 2015 | work=Dominion Post | page=3 | first=Liam | last=Hyslop}} Lashlie married at age 19 and had two children.{{cite news | title=Helping others to find their place | date=21 September 2000 | work=Nelson Mail | first=Sonia | last=Speedy}} Following the end of her marriage, she became a solo mother and completed a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and Māori.

Lashlie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2014, and she died in Wellington on 16 February 2015, aged 61.

• {{cite book |last=Lashlie |first=Celia |title=Journey to prison: who goes and why |year=2002 |publisher=Harper Collins |location=Auckland |isbn=186950433X}}
• {{cite book |last1=Lashlie |first1=Celia |last2=Pivac | first2=Kathleen |title=It's about boys: the Good Man Project |year=2004 |publisher=Nelson College |location=Nelson }}
• {{cite book |last=Lashlie |first=Celia |title=He'll be OK: growing gorgeous boys into good men |year=2005 |publisher=Harper Collins |location=Auckland |isbn=9781869505288}}
• {{cite book |last=Lashlie |first=Celia |title=Power of mothers |year=2010 |publisher=Harper Collins |location=Auckland |isbn=9781869508005}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.nziff.co.nz/2018/auckland/celia/ Celia 2018] – NZIFF website for the 2018 documentary on Celia Lashlie.
• [https://www.celialashlie.nz Celia Lashlie Trust]

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Category:1953 births

Category:2015 deaths

Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New Zealand

Category:New Zealand left-wing activists

Category:New Zealand prison administrators

Category:New Zealand women activists

Category:People from Taihape