Latest news with #ChristianMcGhee
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Court approves settlement after North Carolina student suspended for 'illegal aliens' comment
A high school student's free speech battle against a North Carolina school board took an important step towards closure after a court hearing Tuesday. Christian McGhee, 17, was suspended last year after school officials deemed he made a "racially insensitive" comment about "illegal aliens" in class. The suspension led to a year-long legal battle with the Davidson County Board of Education. Last month, a proposed settlement was reportedly reached between McGhee's parents and the school board. On Tuesday, Judge Thomas David Schroeder of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina ruled that the proposed settlement was "fair, reasonable and in the best interest of [Christian]," according to a press release released Wednesday by the student's legal representatives at the Liberty Justice Center. The school has reportedly agreed to remove the racial bias incident from McGhee's record, issue a public apology, and acknowledge that a former board member responded inappropriately to the incident. Additional terms of the agreement are sealed, but the New York Post reported that the family is also slated to receive a $20,000 payment. Because the student is a minor, a court hearing was required to finalize the settlement, according to the legal group. The teen received a 3-day suspension in the spring of 2024 after asking his teacher if a conversation in class was centered around "spaceship aliens" or "illegal aliens who need green cards" after he returned to the classroom from the restroom. A Latino student present in the class reportedly "joked" that he was going to "kick Christian's a--," leading the teacher to escalate the situation to the assistant principal. McGhee's mother, Leah, who was behind the legal push against the district, told "Fox & Friends" last year that their family tried "for weeks" to resolve the matter privately but were forced to file a lawsuit after getting no response from the school board. The lawsuit accused the school board of violating McGhee's constitutionally-protected rights to free speech and due process. "The court's approval represents a critical step towards finally vindicating Christian's constitutional rights and clearing his record of false allegations," Liberty Justice Center Senior Counsel Dean McGee said of this week's ruling. McGhee's parents said they were grateful and celebrating the legal win. "We are grateful for the Liberty Justice Center's tireless efforts to bring justice to our son, and to the members of the current school board who chose to work with us to help resolve the case," Leah and Chad McGhee said. "Together with the help of our community, we have proved that constitutional rights do not end at schoolhouse doors. We are celebrating this victory and hope it encourages other families to stand firm in the face of adversity." The Davidson County School Board did not immediately return a request for comment.
Fox News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
North Carolina school district to issue apology, pay $20K to student suspended over 'illegal alien' comment
The family of a North Carolina high school student suspended for using the term "illegal alien" is slated to receive a $20,000 payment and a public apology under a proposed settlement, according to The New York Post. The outlet reported Thursday that the settlement was reached to remove all references to racial bias from now-17-year-old Christian McGhee's record, provide compensation and issue a public apology "for the mischaracterization of racial bias." "The Proposed Settlement provides C.M. with monetary compensation intended to defray the costs of his new school, which is private and charges annual tuition," according to the document. The settlement is now pending a judge's approval. McGhee's lawyer, Liberty Justice Center attorney Dean McGee, told the Carolina Journal that a motion had been filed on Friday, asking the court to approve a settlement to resolve the matter. "Because Christian is a minor, a court hearing is required before the settlement can become final," he explained. "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 teen received a three-day suspension last year after asking his teacher if a conversation in class was centered around "spaceship aliens" or "illegal aliens who need green cards" after he returned to the classroom from the restroom. A Latino student present in the class reportedly "joked" that he was going to "kick Christian's a--," leading the teacher to escalate the situation to the assistant principal. The comment was ultimately deemed racially insensitive by the school administration, which the family disputes, and prompted a year-long legal battle. McGhee and his family maintained his innocence throughout. McGhee's mother Leah, who was behind the legal push against the district, joined "Fox & Friends" last year to air some of her grievances concerning the matter. "Christian was suspended three days, out of school suspension. He missed several very important track meets, and, since that time, we have removed him from the school," McGhee told Fox News' Ainsley Earhardt. "We have asked the school to handle this privately for weeks. I have emailed the school board for four weeks. I've had no response from the school board, and since… we had no resolution, we had no other choice but to file a lawsuit and take this public." Dean McGee, the family's attorney, argued at the time that the United States government uses the term "illegal alien," which is clearly defined in Webster's Dictionary, and has no racial specification. The lawsuit centered on McGhee's First Amendment rights. Fox News Digital reached out to the Davidson County School District for comment on the proposed settlement, but did not immediately receive a response.
Daily Mail
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
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 '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.
