High school is forced to apologize and pay up to student they suspended for using term 'illegal alien' in class
An American teen suspended for using the term 'illegal alien ' in class has finally received justice after his school was forced to apologize and pay out a massive $20,000 settlement.
The year-long free speech saga came to an end after a North Carolina district school board agreed to wipe the suspension off the record of Christian McGhee, who was a 16-year-old when his case was first thrust into the national spotlight by President Donald Trump.
The then-sophomore at Central Davidson High School in Lexington, a suburb north of Charlotte, asked his English teacher whether she was referring to 'space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards' during a vocabulary lesson on April 9, 2024.
He was suspended from school for three days for 'making a racially insensitive remark that caused a class disturbance,' according to the lawsuit filed by his parents.
Under the settlement, the school will be required to make a virtual apology to McGhee for the punishment. If the settlement is approved by the court, both parties have agreed not to record or publicly discuss the confidential apology.
'Because Christian is a minor, a court hearing is required before the settlement can become final,' Dean McGee, (no relation) who represents the family and serves as Senior Counsel for Educational Freedom at the Liberty Justice Center, told DailyMail.com.
'We'll have more to say after that hearing, but we're pleased to take this important step toward clearing our client's name.'
The update marks the potential end of a long battle that started when Christian asked his teacher for a clarification on what she meant by 'aliens,' prompting a Hispanic classmate to reply that he was going to 'kick his a**.'
The moment then escalated when both students were called down to the office of Assistant Principal Eric Anderson.
Anderson was accused of telling Christian that his words were a 'big deal' and that the other student should be offended, according to the lawsuit filed by the family's attorneys at the Liberty Justice Center.
The lawsuit also alleged that Anderson told Christian it would've been more respectful to use the label of 'those people' who 'need a green card,' rather than use the term 'aliens.'
Christian's attorneys noted that the student had a 'good relationship' with Christian and later told him that he wasn't offended by the comment.
The parties in the case released a joint statement after reaching a settlement that said even though the board maintained that the disciplinary action was appropriate because Christian disrupted the class, the allegations of racial bias was a 'mischaracterization,' according to the Carolina Journal.
'The McGhees are grateful for the steps taken by the Board to correct Christian's school record, ensuring that he can continue his education without this incident hanging over him, the statement concluded.
Christian's mother, Leah McGhee, spoke at a school board meeting shortly after her son's suspension in defense of his actions.
She said that she attempted to appeal the suspension and emailed Davidson County School Board members Alan Beck and Nick Jarvis, but didn't hear an immediate response.
Leah also claimed that two school board members attempted to 'slander' her name by spreading her arrest record from 14 years ago for possession of pain medication.
The incident sparked outrage among the local community and Beck didn't run for re-election last fall, The Center Square reported.
Leah also accused another school board member, Ashley Carroll, of slander, writing on Facebook in April, 'Ashley took it upon herself to share my past last year in an attempt to discredit my family. #hypocrisy
'The weaponization of government will stop in this community because God is bringing ALL darkness to light in Davidson County, and we will be much safer because of it. We are Grateful for a praying county!'
Carroll resigned from her position earlier this year when she faced driving while impaired charges for a car crash, local CBS affiliate WFMY-TV reported.
The case gained national attention for it's impact on free speech in the classroom amid a timely debate on undocumented migration.
Leah even shared on Facebook that her son garnered the attention of President Donald Trump, who sent Christian a letter thanking him for 'defending out America-First values.'
The letter added, 'do not be discouraged by the radical leftists who will stop at nothing to decimate the freedoms we have worked tirelessly to achieve.'
The family is represented by the Liberty Justice Center, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public interest firm focusing on free speech issues and educational freedom.
The Davidson County School District Board of Education is represented by the law firm, Cranfill Sumner.
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