NC charter school principal and employee convicted of not reporting child abuse
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Two former administrators pleaded guilty to failing to report child abuse.
- Investigators found the classroom video did capture the assault, contradicting reports.
- Judge gave 45-day jail terms, suspended if they complete 12 months supervised probation.
Two former charter school administrators — one of them a former principal — have been convicted on charges of failing to report child abuse at their school.
Nicole Ann Scotto and Melanie Butler Stack both pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of misdemeanor obstruction of justice and failure to report child abuse. Stack was the principal of Research Triangle Charter Academy in Durham and Scotto was the dean of special education services, The News & Observer previously reported.
In November 2024, Scotto, Stack and teacher Jeremy Raekwon Whitley were indicted. Whitley was charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious physical injury, aggravated assault on an individual with a disability, misdemeanor child abuse, and assault on a child under 12.
During a police investigation, Stack and Scotto reported to law enforcement that the video of the classroom where the assault took place did not contain notable evidence, according to a press release from the Durham District Attorney’s Office. After securing a search warrant for the video, investigators found that the footage did capture the assault, according to the DA’s Office.
“North Carolina Statue dictates that every adult in North Carolina has an obligation to report child abuse,” Assistant District Attorney Maryam Al-Zoubi said in the press release. “Failure to do so is a prosecutable offense.”
Holding schools accountable for reporting abuse
Court records show Superior Court Judge Timothy Wilson gave Scotto and Stack the maximum sentence of 45 days in jail. The jail time is suspended if they can complete 12 months of supervised probation.
“Our school community was shocked and deeply saddened when these charges first came to light in Fall 2024,” Leah Wheatlake, a spokesperson for Research Triangle Charter, said in a statement Friday. “We have no higher priority than the safety and well-being of the students entrusted to our care. To ensure this, we provide staff with training on recognizing and reporting child abuse and on maintaining a safe learning environment.”
Whitley, who also no longer works at the school, hasn’t gone to trial yet.
“The Durham County District Attorney’s Office takes all matters concerning child abuse seriously,” District Attorney Satana Deberry said in the press release. “This County’s Youth must be protected, and the Durham County District Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure that those entrusted with their care are held accountable to their actions.”
DA also pursuing case against Eno Valley Elementary
This is at least the second time the Durham District Attorney’s Office has pursued charges against school administrators accused of covering up child abuse.
In January, the principal of Eno Valley Elementary School and two Durham Public Schools administrators were indicted on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury, The N&O previously reported.
The three Durham Public School employees are accused of obstructing an investigation into a 2024 incident in which a student with autism was tied to a classroom chair with rope.
Tounya Wright has since resigned as principal of Eno Valley and the two administrators have been suspended with pay while the school district investigates, The N&O previously reported.
In the wake of the Eno Valley indictment, Durham Superintendent Anthony Lewis said district employees would undergo mandatory training on how to respond to possible child abuse, The N&O previously reported.
Unlike Eno Valley Elementary, Research Triangle Charter Academy is not part of Durham Public Schools. The charter school is run by a local nonprofit board but is managed by National Heritage Academies, a for-profit education management company based in Michigan.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 3:32 PM.
