On Tuesday, July 22nd, the Central District Court of North Carolina in the United States approved a settlement agreement ordering a school district in the state to admit its mistake, publicly apologize to a 16-year-old student, and pay over $20,000 in compensation.
A year ago, the student and their parents filed a lawsuit against the Davidson County School District in North Carolina for wrongly accusing the student of racial bias, which they claimed violated the student’s freedom of speech rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution.
In April of last year, Christian McGhee was suspended for three days for using the term “illegal aliens” during a discussion in an English class. McGhee questioned in class, “Are you referring to space aliens or illegal aliens needing green cards?” This resulted in the suspension, and a permanent record mark of “racially insensitive behavior.”
As per the terms of the settlement agreement, McGhee’s school not only had to issue a public apology but also correct McGhee’s permanent record to remove the label of “racially insensitive behavior” and acknowledge that “prior (school district) members reacted inappropriately.” The agreement, as per the judge’s order, does not constitute an admission of legal responsibility or misconduct.
Sarah Parshall Perry, a legal researcher from the non-profit organization Defending Education, told Fox News Digital that “just as the Supreme Court has repeatedly reminded us in its First Amendment precedents, students do not shed their speech rights when they enter the schoolhouse gates… Schools can no longer do this. The mission of American education is rooted in the perspective and diversity of a pluralistic society.”
She expressed hope that post this legal turbulence, schools will “think twice before acting, to avoid encroaching on unconstitutional grounds and trampling on students’ freedom of speech rights.”
McGhee’s experience also caught the attention of former President Trump. The Liberty Justice Center, which assisted in the lawsuit, stated that Trump would be willing to write a personal letter of recommendation for McGhee when he applies for athletic scholarships in the future.
(Credit to Fox News for reference)