By Brianna Kraemer
Carolina Journal
Legislators in the North Carolina General Assembly are expected to consider a new statute that would expand a student’s ability to appeal school suspensions. The effort follows national outrage over a North Carolina public school suspending a student for saying the word ‘illegal alien.’
Central Davidson High School suspended sophomore Christian McGhee for three days in April without the opportunity to appeal for asking, “Like space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards?” Administrative staff deemed his words offensive and disrespectful to Hispanic classmates. School policy says that any suspension under 10 days is not eligible for appeal.
“I cannot appeal this suspension since it is less than 10 days. Racism is only a three-day suspension with no appeal when it should be a top-tier punishment,” his mother, Leah McGhee, told the Davidson County School Board.
While a lawsuit is underway that alleges the county Board of Education violated Christian’s rights to free speech, education, and due process, a state legislator is taking additional steps to alter North Carolina law.
SEE ALSO: Lawsuit filed against NC school board for ‘illegal alien’ suspension controversy
State Sen. Steve Jarvis, R-Davidson, represents the McGhees’ district in the General Assembly and has been in communication with the family. Jarvis told the Carolina Journal that he was shocked when he found out through the McGhees’ situation that suspensions under 10 days cannot be appealed. Together, they are working to ensure that short-term school suspensions can’t continue without appeal.
Jarvis is working with legal staff at the General Assembly to provide a solution for similar situations in the future. Drafted language is underway that aims to outline an appeal process that includes requiring the principal or designee to give a detailed written report or eyewitness report of what happened. If there is a suspension, schools would be required to provide a detailed report of the code that was violated and a detailed report of how the Code of Conduct Code was violated. Students would be able to appeal to at least the school board or the superintendent, though the current draft only permits appeals for suspensions five days or longer.
“We’ve got to do what we can to get something. At least it will get the conversation started,” said Jarvis, explaining that it may not go as far as some would like. “I’m sure it will go through different versions from here.”
The rule would be added as a Proposed Committee Substitute to an existing bill, which will be discussed by the Senate Committee on Education/Higher Education during this Wednesday’s meeting. Leah McGhee plans to travel to Raleigh to speak in front of legislators on behalf of the proposal.
Robert Luebke, Director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation, said common sense has disappeared from Davidson County Schools, and it’s time to restore it.
“Shame on the Davidson County School Board and the principal of Central Davidson High School. Their silence and stonewalling have now made a tempest out of a teapot,” Luebke said. “If it takes the legislature getting involved to grant any accused student a right of appeal for a brief suspension, so be it. School administrators should not be allowed to be judge and jury.”
Leah McGhee told the Carolina Journal that no family deserves to go through “absolute hell,” as her family has endured for the past seven weeks. While the policy will not impact Christian’s suspension, she says it’s needed so that a similar circumstance never happens again.
The school board’s final meeting of the year is scheduled for Monday evening, in which members of the public, including Leah McGhee, are expected to speak directly to the board again.
The story garnered national attention from high-profile figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, who wrote Christian a letter of recommendation and invited him to a campaign rally in North Carolina.
The speech police at it again
Is it also against their policy to ask if the term killer refers to bug spray or Jeffrey Dahmer?
They haven’t banned the word/phrase, these are the consequences of using words you have the freedom to use.
If your child called you something you didn’t like and you tried to punish them for using that language would you be ok with them arguing that your taking away your freedom of speech?
Its just a point of respect.
Actually he didn’t call anyone specific person that “illegal alien” He was trying to an ascertain the context of a vocabulary term. No disrespect intended or implied.
It has nothing to do with respect. He used those words in a conversation while joking around with his best friend who is Hispanic. No one was offended. Stop making Karen’s and Darren’s out of these teens.
What a bunch of Snowflake! Our NC Legislators is using this as an excuse to increase their power. Leave this to our LOCALLY elected school boards. Keep Raleigh Out!
If “illegal alien” automatically makes you thing Hispanic then you are the racist.
Just like if someone thinks voter id laws or any taking away of government handouts is targeting African Americans, then you are racist thinking only they commit voter fraud or misuse entitlements……
3 day suspension for saying illegal alien? Are they serious? Christ Almighty I remember kids saying stuff in class and the teacher saying the ole “we don’t say that here” or “we don’t say that in class.” What happened to corrective action before punishment? Which I don’t see the problem in what he said to begin with.
Not all Illegal aliens are Hispanic, not all Africans are Black. Sensitivity is at an all time high amongst people. Give it a rest folks.
What was he supposed to say? Fence jumper??