The staff members of a Durham-area public charter school have been arrested in connection with an assault on a 5-year-old disabled student. One staffer was arrested for assault and two leadership officials were arrested for allegedly covering it up during a police investigation.

Primary Arrest
Name: Jeremy Raekwon Whitley

JEREMY RAEKWON WHITLEY

Age: 28
Charge(s):Child abuse inflicting serious physical injury (Class D Felony), aggravated assault on an individual with a disability (Class F Felony), child abuse (Misdemeanor A1), assault on a child under 12 (Misdemeanor A1).
Charge Type(s): (View Sentencing Chart)
Arrest Date: 11-7-24 (Turned himself in) (Indicted on 11-4-24)
Bond Details: $50,000 secured bond; posted

Victim /Case Details: 

Durham Police Department (Facebook):

The Durham Police Department’s Special Victims Unit has arrested and charged three individuals in connection with a thorough child abuse investigation that began in August 2024.
At approximately 6:32 p.m. on August 21, 2024, officers responded to a report of child abuse that occurred at Research Triangle Charter Academy located in the 2400 block of Ellis Road. Based on investigation, a school employee, Jeremy Raekwon Whitley, 28, of Durham, assaulted a student and caused serious physical injuries.
On November 4th, Whitley was indicted on charges of 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. He turned himself in on November 7th. He was booked in the Durham County Jail and released on a $50,000 secured bond.
Nicole Ann Scotto, 35, of Clayton, and Melanie Butler Stack, 47, of Durham, both employees of the school, have been indicted on charges of felony common law obstruction of justice and failure to report child abuse. Scotto and Stack were released on unsecured bonds.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Investigator C. Park of the Durham Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at 919-560-4440 ext. 29321. You can also submit a CrimeStoppers tip online at durhamcrimestoppers.org or call (919) 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrests in felony cases, and callers never have to identify themselves.

Indictment details:

Whitley’s indictment states the victim is a 5-year-old male child. The victim sustained “multiple bruises on his chest, back,-both shoulders, right arm, and emotional distress.”

From the indictment for Whitley:
The defendant named above unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did did assault and strike NAME REDACTED, an individual with a disability, by forcibly sitting NAME REDACTED in a chair and applying pressure to NAME REDACTED shoulders, grabbing NAME REDACTED by the back of his t-shirt, lifting his body off the ground by his t-shirt, pulling NAME REDACTED  backward up into the air knocking NAME REDACTED’s body into a chair and tossing NAME REDACTED to the ground and then pushing him to the ground using his left hand.. In the course of the assault the defendant inflicted serious injury on NAME REDACTED.

District: Durham
School: Research Triangle Charter Academy (K-8 Public Charter School)
Current Role of Primary Arrestee: Whitley was a teacher
History of Primary Arrestee: Unknown
Employment status of Primary Arrestee: Whitley is “no longer employed” at the school.

Statement/ information from District/School:

“We were shocked to learn about these allegations and are cooperating fully with the police investigation. While privacy rights and the ongoing investigation limit the details I can share, what I can say is that we do not take lightly the trust our parents place in us to provide their children with a safe learning environment. The well-being of our scholars remains one of our highest priorities.”

NC Teacher License Information:

License Number: 1284129
Name: Whitley, Jeremy R
License Type: Educator
License Status: Expired
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Effective Date: 08/17/2023
License Area(s): Permit to Teach

Per the NC Dept. of Public Instruction, his permit to teach was summarily suspended on 11-19-24.

Additional Arrests/Charges

Name: Melanie Butler Stack (Principal of school)
(No mugshot provided; Image taken from LinkedIn)
Age: 47
Charges: common law obstruction of justice, failure to report child abuse
Charge Type(s): (View Sentencing Chart)
Arrest Date: 11-7-24 (indictment)
Note: Stack has resigned, per the school. LinkedIn profile indicates she previously worked for Durham Public Schools as an assistant principal and Chapel Hill Carrboro schools as a counselor.
NC Teaching License Information:
License Number: 667036
Name: STACK, MELANIE BUTLER
License Type: Educator
License Status: Current
Expiration Date: 06/30/2028
Effective Date: 07/01/2023
License Area(s): School Administrator: Superintendent, School Administrator: Principal, School Counselor

Name: Nicole Ann Scotto (Dean of Special Education, Academic Intervention, and ELL Services)
(No mugshot provided, image taken from school website)
Age: 35
Charges: common law obstruction of justice, failure to report child abuse
Charge Type(s): (View Sentencing Chart)
Arrest Date: 11-7-24 (indictment)
Note: Scotto has been placed on administrative leave, per the school.
NC Teaching License Information:
License Number: 1226833
Name: Scotto, Nicole Ann
License Type: Educator
License Status: Current
Expiration Date: 06/30/2027
Effective Date: 07/01/2022
License Area(s): Elementary Education (K-6)

Indictments state that both Stack and Scotto made false statements to police, impeding the investigation.