Parents, Students Voice Support For Fired Salem High Instructor

SALEM, MA -- Veterans, parents and students asked the school committee to overrule Salem High School Principal David Angeramo and reinstate Michael hunter as the director of the school's Jr. ROTC program. Hunter was fired earlier this month after a "belly-to-belly" argument with Assistant Principal Jamie Flynn that had happened before Thanksgiving when the two had a dispute over the discipline of a student that had sworn at Hunter. In addition to the support at Monday night's meeting, more than 675 people have signed an online petition calling for Hunter's reinstatement.

According to the Salem News, which first reported this story, Superintendent Margarita Ruiz said she could not discuss the issue because it was a personnel matter. She did, however, agree to meet with parents.

There 87 students enrolled in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC at Salem High. Hunter, 58, of Swampscott, was paid $93,752 as the senior Marine ROTC instructor at Salem High. His salary was split between the school department and the Marine Corp. Hunter served in the Marine Corps for 22 years, including a combat tour as a platoon commander in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

In 2011, Salem High School fired Maj. David Flores after multiple complaints were filed by Salem High staff members. A wrongful termination suit Flores filed was dismissed by a federal judge in January 2016.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Photo by U.S. Marines.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).