In exchange for a public apology and $20,000, the family of a high school student in North Carolina who was punished last year for using the term “illegal alien” in English class has withdrawn their case against the district.
On April 9, 2024, Christian McGhee, 17, was suspended for three days for uttering the term during a discussion on word meanings in his English class at Central Davidson High School in Lexington.
Leah, McGhee’s mother, had sued the school and the Davidson County Board of Education, claiming that they had violated her son’s First Amendment rights.
But according to court filings, McGhee’s family and the school board reached a settlement on Wednesday following a year-long legal struggle.
According to records, the board has decided to expunge any mention of racial bias from McGhee’s academic record and to publicly apologize “for the mischaracterization of racial bias” in it.
Additionally, the board will provide him $20,000 in compensation to assist his family in paying for tuition at the new private school he had to transfer to after being suspended.
“On Friday, we filed a motion asking the court to approve a settlement that would resolve this matter. Because Christian is a minor, a court hearing is required before the settlement can become final,” McGee’s lawyer stated.
“We’ll have more to say after that hearing, which is currently scheduled for July 1st. We’re pleased to take this important step toward clearing our client’s name.”
“Like space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards?” the teen inquired after receiving an assignment from a teacher that used the word “alien” at the time of the event.
After a Hispanic student in McGhee’s class allegedly “joked” that he was going to “kick Christian’s ass,” the instructor took the situation to Assistant Principal Eric Anderson of Central Davidson.
Anderson suspended McGhee because his remarks were considered insulting and offensive to his peers.
As claimed in the lawsuit, Anderson “declared that his comment was racially motivated,” according to the suspension records.
The lawsuit also listed Anderson as a defendant “in his individual capacity.”
“I didn’t make a statement directed towards anyone — I asked a question,” McGee stated last year.
“I wasn’t speaking of Hispanics because everyone from other countries needs green cards, and the term ‘illegal alien’ is an actual term that I hear on the news and can find in the dictionary,” he continued.
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School officials were unyielding when Leah McGhee tried to appeal the suspension.
She subsequently engaged the services of an Educational Freedom Attorney from the Liberty Justice Center to help clear her son’s name and reputation.
The school punishment will stay on Mchee’s record “because there was a class disruption caused by the comments,” according to the agreement reached by the school system, the teen’s family, and others.
According to the board, the settlement is “fair, reasonable, and in Christian’s best interest.”
