Dominic "Dom" Perino is a history and social studies teacher at Degrassi Community School. He is short-tempered and takes his subjects seriously. Despite his assertiveness, Dom cares about his students, disliking when they aren't learning to their full potential. In the later seasons, he is more sympathetic towards his students. Mr. Perino is a recurring character who has appeared since Season 2 of Degrassi: The Next Generation. He is portrayed by Tom Melissis.
Character History
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Season 2
In Relax, he praises Liberty's essay, and says she always accomplishes what she sets out to do with her life.
Season 3
In Accidents Will Happen (2), Mr. Perino is explaining a class project for the 1950s. Liberty asks if they have to have partners, and he says yes. He pairs Liberty and Sean together, to which J.T. is relieved. Sean and Liberty aren't very excited to be working together.
In I Want Candy, Emma briefly asks him if Mr. Simpson is in the teachers' lounge. He replies with a no. Then, he breaks up a fight between Alex and Emma, telling them to simmer down.
Season 4
In Secret (1), Emma is about ready to leave his classroom when the bell rings. He stops her and asks if she'd like to see a graph of her participation grade. He uses his arm to show that it has gone down a lot. Mr. Perino then tells Emma that he knows she's been through a lot since the shooting, but she needs to focus as the grace period was coming to an end. Later, J.T. and Liberty are arguing about the play in his classroom. Emma decides to prove to them that she is the perfect part for the star, and she gets the role.
In Secret (2), Mr. Perino has a guest speaker in his classroom. She is teaching about sexually transmitted diseases. She tells the class that there has been a mini outbreak of gonorrhea at Degrassi. Manny Santos shouts, "Gonorrhea?!" and everyone turns around and looks at her. The guest speaker continues by telling the class about symptoms and prevention.
Season 5
In Death of a Disco Dancer, Mr. Perino is seen teaching the senior history class. When Paige and Alex get into a heated argument in the middle of class, he gives them detention.
In Together Forever, he gave Craig Manning an F on his presentation about World War I.
Season 6
In Crazy Little Thing Called Love, he bullies and threatens Danny and Derek. Though he apologizes to Derek, he knows he's just trying to stay out of trouble with Mr. Simpson. Derek tells Mr. Simpson about what Mr. Perino's been doing to them, and Dom is told to take a break.
Season 7
In Got My Mind Set On You, he was seen as a substitute teacher in Danny and Derek's Media Immersions class.
In Another Brick In The Wall, he was again seen as a substitute Media Immersions teacher.
In Ladies' Night, Perino participated in Degrassi's Free the Children campaign organised by Anya MacPherson but did not seem terribly enthusiastic about it. When the fasting students began to throw things at Holly J. Sinclair after they saw footage of her eating a cookie, he told them to stop.
Season 9
In Heart Like Mine (1), Marco Del Rossi was student teaching for his class. Mr Perino was seen watching him while he taught. He also confronted him about letting Holly J. and Declan Coyne have extra time to turn their projects in. He told Marco to grow a backbone or he would a poor performance report. He later advised him that he should just try to be his students' teacher as they had plenty of friends already.
Degrassi
Season 10
In You Don't Know My Name (1), he is teaching about the Victorian Era while Alli tries to talk to Drew about going to the dance. He interrupts her and puts a crown on her head. He then walks away, still teaching and Alli continues talking to Drew. Later in the episode, Alli turns in Drew's essay for him. Mr. Perino asks if it was plagiarized or if someone did it for him. Alli admits to it, and Mr. Perino gives Drew a zero.
In My Body Is A Cage (1), he tells his class they are going to work on a group project about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii in 79. Anya MacPherson walks in and he tells her she is tardy. Mr. Perino partners Anya with Holly J. and Sav Bhandari. Holly J. and Sav are nervous because they are trying to keep their relationship a secret. Later in the hallway, Dave Turner tells him he watched an old film, The Godfather, that Mr. Perino talked about in class. Connor DeLaurier tells Dave that he's a teacher's pet afterwards.
In Purple Pills (2), Fiona and Holly J. are taking an exam. In the middle of the exam, Fiona turns in her work. He tells her that there is still 30 minutes on the clock. She says "It's okay, I'm tired." and walks toward a table, unsteadily. She climbs up on the table, lies down and falls asleep. He asks "What are you doing?" and Holly J. asks if she can check on her. Holly J. tries to wake up Fiona, but gives up and tells him "I think she's sleeping." Mr. Perino tells the class to continue their work.
In The Way We Get By (1), Mr. Perino tells his senior class that papers are due tomorrow for 20% of their grade. When he is done talking, Riley turns around and asks Zane if he wants to come over, but Zane wants to go to an art show.
In Hide and Seek (1), Mr. Perino is showing grade tens the letters they wrote and buried for themselves in grade seven.
Season 11
In Lose Yourself (1), Jenna returns to Degrassi. He teaches the class about modern history, such as the internet. Jenna appears to be very excited about this. Dave turns to Jenna and tries to hint that she is having a breast leakage. Jenna covers it up with a book and tells Mr. Perino she needs to pump. Mr. Perino tells Jenna that she can do what she needs to do, but not to do it in the classroom. Jenna doesn't want to miss anything, but Mr. Perino insists on giving her a hall pass. When Jenna walks out the door, Mr. Perino continues his lesson.
In Underneath It All, Mr. Perino is introducing the seniors to Grade 12 History when he notices Jake Martin reading a magazine. He asks "Am I boring you, Mr. Martin?" and snatches the magazine. He reads the article aloud about a girl who regrets losing her virginity to a guy that left her a month after. He begins asking discussion questions to the class. Bianca DeSousa tells him that this kind of thing happens all the time, "A guy lies to get her into bed." This causes Jake to realize it might not be a good idea to have sex with Clare Edwards.
In Not Ready To Make Nice (1), he comes into his classroom after Clare yells at Jenna, and demands to know what is going on, and threatens to send her to Mr Simpson's office if she does not simmer down.
In Smash Into You (1), he leads the students' Model UN and helps Marisol and Mo work together.
Season 12
In Got Your Money (1), he tells his students to get in groups to work on their timelines. His students include freshmen Zig Novak, Tori Santamaria, Maya Matlin, and Damon Carter.
In I Want It That Way (1), he is seen talking to Alli after she almost knocked him down and giving her 1 more day to complete her homework.
Season 13
In This Is How We Do It, he doesn't let Zoë Rivas leave the classroom when she wants to, and he tries to calm her down by telling her to get over her boy drama. When he tells her to chill out, she throws her coffee all over him.
In Who Do You Think You Are, Drew lies to Mr. Perino about why Dallas is absent for their presentation, so he gives them until next class in order to complete it.
In Barely Breathing, he catches Zoë and Maya fighting and sends them both to Mr. Simpson's office. He later waits with Drew for Dallas to show up to class for their presentation. When Dallas shows up drunk and throws up during their presentation, Mr. Perino comments that Dallas had the stomach flu after all.
In What It's Like, he introduces Jack to the class, and puts her in a group with Imogen and Becky.
In Close to Me, he searches Zig's locker after getting a tip from Miles that there may be drugs there, but he does not find anything.
In Sparks Will Fly (1), he is seen telling Zoë that she should join the quiz team and Tristan asks, "The nerd squad?"
In Believe (1), he is seen asking a question to the class, which Becky answers it incorrectly.
In Believe (2), he is seen trying to find Becky and Drew with Becky's mother and a park ranger.
Season 14
Degrassi: Next Class
Season 2
In #ThatAwkwardMomentWhen, during Mr. Perino's class, Zoë and Winston's video gets reposted and Mr. Perino tells them he is happy for them, and to put their phones away until the end of class.
Season 3
Season 4
Appearances
Degrassi
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
- I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (2)
- You Don't Know My Name (1)
- My Body Is A Cage (1)
- Still Fighting It (1)
- Still Fighting It (2)
- Purple Pills (2)
- The Way We Get By (1)
- Hide and Seek (1)
Season 11
- Lose Yourself (1)
- Don't Panic (1)
- Underneath It All
- Not Ready To Make Nice (1)
- Need You Now (1)
- Smash Into You (1)
- Hollaback Girl (1)
- Hollaback Girl (2)
Season 12
Season 13
- This Is How We Do It
- Who Do You Think You Are
- Barely Breathing
- What It's Like
- Close to Me
- Sparks Will Fly (1)
- How Bizarre
- Believe (1)
- Believe (2)
- Thunderstruck
Season 14
Degrassi: Next Class (Season 2)
Degrassi: Next Class (Season 3)
Degrassi: Next Class (Season 4)
Trivia
- Mr. Perino was the second teacher to "constantly pick on" a student. The first was Mr. Raditch, who picked on Yick Yu in the Degrassi Junior High episode The Experiment.
- Mr. Perino has appeared in 59 episodes.
- He has had coffee spilled on his shirt twice:
- The first time was in Crazy Little Thing Called Love
- The second time was in This Is How We Do It
- After Archie Simpson and Darryl Armstrong, Perino is the third longest running teacher and character in the Degrassi franchise.
- He frequently brings a thermos of coffee to class.
- His name Dom Perino is most likely a reference to the champagne Dom Perignon.
- He is one of the few Degrassi teachers who don’t go by their full name, his full name being Dominic.