A 16-year-old student from North Carolina has initiated legal proceedings against his school district after being suspended for using the term “illegal alien” in class.
The student, Christian McGhee, asserts that the “harsh punishment” meted out by Central Davidson High School in Lexington was excessively severe and based on “false accusations of racism.”
Christian’s mother, Leah McGhee, revealed that the incident occurred during an English class assignment in April, Resist The Mainstream reported.
The teen inquired whether the term “alien” referred to extraterrestrial beings or individuals lacking proper immigration documentation, commonly known as “illegal aliens.”
Trouble ensued when another student allegedly took offense to Christian’s terminology and threatened physical altercation, prompting the teacher to involve the assistant principal.
School officials subsequently deemed the term offensive to Hispanic students and imposed a three-day suspension on Christian.
The Liberty Justice Center (LJC), following widespread attention to the unfolding story, announced on Tuesday their intention to represent Christian in a lawsuit against the Davidson County Board of Education.
Fox News reported that senior counsel at the LJC, Buck Dougherty, vehemently criticized the actions taken by a school board against the teen in a statement.
Dougherty emphasized, “Even though Christian asked a factual, non-threatening question—about a word the class was discussing—the school board branded him with false accusations of racism.”
He continued by asserting that the school’s actions not only infringed upon Christian’s constitutional right to free speech but also violated his right to due process and access to education, which are guaranteed under North Carolina law.
The LJC expressed unwavering support for Christian and his family in their fight against what they perceive as a blatant violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
Christian’s attorneys say the ordeal didn’t end with false accusations, as the teen was barred from participating in a track meet and faced harassment and intimidation at school.
His parents eventually opted to remove him from the school, and he is currently pursuing his studies through a homeschooling program, per Fox.
The lawsuit notes that the student who allegedly took offense to Christian’s question clarified that he was not actually upset or offended by the term in question.
The lawsuit also highlighted a troubling statement from a school administrator who claimed that severe punishment was necessary to prevent being “unfair” to students disciplined for using racial slurs—a comparison deemed preposterous by the legal team.
LJC Educational Freedom Attorney Dean McGee said, “School officials have effectively fabricated a racial incident out of thin air and branded our client as a racist without even giving him an opportunity to appeal. Fortunately, young people do not shed their First Amendment rights at school, and we look forward to vindicating Christian’s rights here.”
The lawsuit demands that the school board immediately overturn and expunge the suspension from the student’s record.The family is also pursuing a public apology and financial compensation, the amount of which will be decided during the trial.
Leah McGhee, speaking through the LJC, strongly asserted, “I have raised our son to reject racism in all its forms, but it is the school, not Christian, that injected race into this incident. It appears that this administration would rather destroy its own reputation and the reputation of my son rather than admit they made a mistake.”
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