A HIGH school student has scored a $20,000 payout and a public apology after being suspended for using a controversial term during class.
Now the school is wiping his record clean of racial bias claims.
Google EarthA student in North Carolina was suspended last year for a question involving the term “illegal alien”[/caption] GettyThe student’s family sued the school for violating her son’s First Amendment rights[/caption]The teen was booted from school for three days in 2024 over a question he asked involving the term “illegal alien”, and now the district is backtracking.
The incident happened during an English lesson at Central Davidson High School in Lexington, North Carolina.
Christian McGhee, then 17, asked his teacher if the word “alien” referred to “space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards.”
His question reportedly triggered another student, who allegedly joked that he would “kick Christian’s ass,” prompting the teacher to escalate it.
School officials ruled that McGhee’s question was racially insensitive and slapped him with a suspension.
Assistant Principal Eric Anderson said the remark was “racially motivated,” according to court records.
The phrase sparked a firestorm that led to a lawsuit from McGhee’s mother, Leah, who accused the district of violating her son’s First Amendment rights, the New York Post reported.
She also accused Anderson of mishandling the situation and named him personally in the suit.
The family has since decided to drop the case after the Davidson County Board of Education agreed to settle, per court documents.
As part of the deal, the board will pay $20,000 to help cover tuition at McGhee’s new private school.
The district will also delete all mentions of racial bias from the student’s record and issue a formal apology.
Court filings say the apology will address the “mischaracterization of racial bias” in McGhee’s disciplinary file.
The school board has agreed the deal is “fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of Christian.”
“On Friday, we filed a motion asking the court to approve a settlement that would resolve this matter,” McGhee’s lawyer told the Carolina Journal.
“Because Christian is a minor, a court hearing is required before the settlement can become final.”
What’s in the Settlement Deal
Record Wiped CleanAll references to racial bias will be removed from Christian McGhee’s school record ahead of his college applications. Public ApologiesThe Davidson County Board of Education will issue a public apology for mislabeling the incident as racially motivated.A former board member will also apologize for inappropriate conduct after the suspension. $20,000 CompensationMcGhee will receive monetary compensation to help cover tuition at his new private school. Court Approval PendingThe settlement must be approved by a judge before it is finalizedThe hearing is set for July 1.
McGhee was forced to transfer schools following the suspension, his family said.
“I didn’t make a statement directed towards anyone, I asked a question,” McGhee told the Carolina Journal in 2024.
“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.”
His mom, Leah McGhee, claimed the school took things too far and refused to let her appeal the suspension.
She hired an attorney from the Liberty Justice Center’s Educational Freedom initiative to challenge her son’s suspension.
Appearing on WBT’s The Pete Kaliner Show, Leah said the school misjudged her son.
“It is a term used as federal code, and it is a term that is heard frequently on many news broadcasts,” she said.
“I feel that if this was handled properly in the classroom, it could have easily been used as a teachable moment for everyone.”
Despite the settlement, one thing remains: the original suspension itself.
Court documents show both parties agreed to keep the three-day punishment on record due to the disruption it caused in class.
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