Mom says Johnston County teacher used racial slur, threatened daughter
CLAYTON, N.C. (WNCN) – A Johnston County mother is worried for her daughter’s safety after she told CBS 17 her that daughter’s teacher used a racial slur and threatened her.
All of this unfolded at Archer Lodge Middle School last Tuesday on April 16.
Part of it has been captured on camera.
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“I dare you to get me fired,” a man’s voice was heard in cellphone video.
“If she got me fired over saying that word, and I’m out of this school after 16 years, I would haunt your family for the rest of your life. You’d never know I was around, but I’d be doing stuff to make your life miserable all your life,” the man added.
The video was taken by Whitney Dean’s 13-year-old daughter, and only documented part of what she said happened with Michael Melchiorre on April 16.
“The teacher decided to use the N-word in class. Other things happened prior to that with the students, but I feel it’s irrelevant because he’s the adult in the situation,” Dean told CBS 17.
She said that’s when her daughter whipped out her phone.
“What if I’m recording?” the daughter asked.
“Go ahead. Go ahead,” was the response.
Dean said this is not the first time something like this has happened with Melchiorre, who is her daughter’s science teacher.
“We’ve had run-ins with him in the past with things that he said that are disrespectful and a bit racist, such as calling my son a thug and referring to the kids as monkey,” she explained.
While she did not report the other incidents, Dean said she is not letting this one go.
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“You threatened her and told us we would never see you coming. So, I will prepare for that. If it had been the other way around, and a kid was threatening a teacher, that kid would be immediately out of school,” she said. “I’m angry because I’m not getting enough information. [He] threatened her. My goal is for him to lose his job.”
Johnston County School officials would not confirm any information to CBS17 and said this is a confidential student and personnel information.
Dean told CBS 17 Melchiorre has not been in class since she reported the incident on April 17. She said the Archer Lodge Middle School principal said there is no return date.
CBS 17 reached out to Melchiorre, but as of airtime, has not heard back.
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