- "Miss Russo, even though you're frozen, I can see you"
- ―Mr. Laritate addressing Alex
Hershel Laritate is the principal of Tribeca Prep Sr. High School, which is shown when he calls Alex into the principal's office. The last name, Laritate, is a pun of Larry Tate from Bewitched,. He is also the father of A young girl named naty.
He loves anything related to the Old West and decorated his office in that fashion he also wears a bolo tie, which he is fond of. (Another name for a bolo tie is a Lariete.) Laritate has an on-and-off relationship with Alex—in that he is disappointed in Alex's lack of work ethic and unwillingness to do well in school, but it is evident that he cares about her through his many efforts to reach out to her. The reason he punishes her so severely is because he still believes that she can still turn herself around, unlike other students who he either knows he can't get through to; or knows won't do whatever they did wrong again. He holds a pop quiz every Thursday, however he gives the answers in all the questions except when asking Alex whom he believes should be able to handle harder questions like Justin. He makes Alex join the Happy Helpers Club and is Alex's art teacher in the episode Art Teacher.
Mr. Laritate with Alex
Mr. Laritate is also the adviser of several activities at the school including the World School Summit at the U.N., Happy Helpers Club and Quiz Bowl, and he teaches a History class and a Marriage and Family class. He once taught the art class. In season two's "Don't Rain on Justin's Parade," Mr. Laritate calls Alex an evil genius, much to Alex's pleasure. He does not have a college degree said in Franken Girl. Mr. Laritate is one of Justin and Alex's teachers.
In the episode Alex's Logo, it's revealed that Mr. Laritate's first name is Hershel.
Appearances
Season 1
- Potion Commotion (first appearance)
- Justin's Little Sister
Season 2
- Smarty Pants
- Baby Cupid
- Fairy Tale
- Art Teacher
- Alex Does Good
- Don't Rain on Justin's Parade - Earth
- Paint By Committee
Season 3
- Franken Girl
- Alex Charms a Boy
- Positive Alex
- Detention Election
- Third Wheel
- Western Show
- Alex's Logo
- Delinquent Justin
Season 4
- Lucky Charmed
- Wizards vs. Angels
- Back to Max
- Wizards vs. Asteroid
- Get Along, Little Zombie (final appearance)
Trivia
- He is one of the few teachers shown and the most frequent that appears.
- He loves bolo ties reveled in the episode "Potion Commotion"
- In the episode "Art Teacher" Mr. Laritate claims that Ms. Majorheely texted in her resignation and that he didn't know that his phone got texts, while in "Alex's Logo" he doesn't know what a text message is.
- His name is a play on the character Larry Tate. The obsessive boss on the show "Bewitched."
- Mr. Laritate is allergic to nuts as revealed in "Potion Commotion".
- He has an "Alex proof safe" in which he keeps all Alex's reports.
- A zombie bit him, and he turned into a zombie. Alex and Harper saved him, even though Alex may have a love/hate relationship with him.