Woman Who Confronted Black Teens At MLK Day Event Fired, Boyfriend Could Face Hate Crime Charges

Dana Scalione, the white woman who was captured on viral video harassing Black teen protesters at an annual Martin Luther King Jr. day event in Miami, Florida, has been fired. According to the Miami Herald, Insignia International Properties, a real estate company where Scalione worked, announced its decision on Tuesday, writing on Facebook, “Insignia International Properties does not tolerate discrimination. Dana Scalione is no longer affiliated with this organization.” Scalione appears in a video posted by Dream Defenders, a non-profit activist group, railing at the teen participating in the annual “Bikes Up, Guns Down” to protest a development project in Liberty Square, a public housing complex. Scalione accused the teens of running over her foot with their bikes, even as video appears to refute that claim, and the teens repeatedly denied doing so. “You just touched me, you bunch of thugs,” Scalione insisted as she starts to walk away.

BREAKING: Miami teens participating in annual #BikesUpGunsDown event assaulted and threatened with a gun in the Brickell Avenue area of Miami today. Captured by one of our members. pic.twitter.com/Hxtscb52PK

— Dream Defenders (@Dreamdefenders) January 22, 2019

It was at that point a man in a pink shirt, identified as Mark Allen Bartlett, rushed up to the teens with a firearm at his side, demanding “Who did it?” “That guy in the red,” Scalione said pointing out one of the teens. “You ran over my foot!” It turns out Barlett is Scalione’s boyfriend (such a perfect pair). He menaced the teens with his gun, and repeatedly call them the n-word. “You fucking losers. You fucking stupid n–gers. You’re all fucking dumb-ass fucking n–gers,” he shouted, while still holding his firearm. In another video, Bartlett, who had gotten into his car, could be heard yelling out of his window “N–gers suck!” Barlett was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, but on Tuesday, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said that her office would be investigating the confrontation as a possible hate crime. If the hate crime charges stick, Bartlett could face upgraded charges, such as aggravated assault, which the Herald notes includes a “hate crime” enhancement. If convicted, under those circumstances, Barlett could face tougher sentencing. “I am outraged at the reported acts depicted in the videos taken during this incident. I have assigned my chief of our Hate Crimes Unit to immediately investigate and handle this case,” the state attorney said in a statement on Tuesday. “My office is working closely with City of Miami Police on this matter. I am committed to filing the appropriate charges and to vigorously prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.” Scalione is not facing charges and lamented to Local 10 that “racial slurs” were thrown by both sides. “I was called a white a– first. Nobody calls them racist,” Scalione said. “I was called a b—-. Nobody says they hate women.” Because, you know, being called a white a– is exactly the same as being called the n-word. Nonetheless, Scalione said that she didn’t think the teens or Barlett are racist and that it was situational of the incident. Right. Meanwhile, Bartlett is defending his actions, telling Local 10 that his only regret is not having a concealed carry permit. “All I see is 15 people running across the street toward my girlfriend — over the median, toward my girlfriend,” he said. “My first reaction is I have a gun on me. Whether I have a gun on me or not, I’m running to see and to protect my family. I had a gun though. It wasn’t loaded. I ran out there. You can see I never pointed it. I never threatened anybody. I just needed it in case something were to happen.”