Judge dismisses lawsuit of former Mitchell Tech instructor

Ex-teacher alleged colleague talked about pornography with students

A former teacher who alleged he was improperly terminated from his job at Mitchell Technical College cannot pursue a legal claim because it’s barred by state law, a federal judge has ruled.

Michael Carpentier was terminated in October of 2022 after a verbal altercation with another teacher. Carpentier, who was employed under a yearly contract with Mitchell Technical College and the Mitchell School District, was an instructor of commercial truck driving and had been teaching there for several years.

During the course of his tenure, he alleged that he had repeatedly reported the teacher he’d had an altercation with to school administrators. He said the teacher engaged in a pattern misbehavior by touching students inappropriately and discussing his preferences for pornography. He said students were afraid to be left alone with the teacher.

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