A Davidson County student who was suspended after asking a question about the word “aliens” has reached a settlement with the school district.
DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — The Davidson County Board of Education has reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit involving a student who was suspended and accused of making racially motivated comments — an allegation the student’s family says was false and harmful.
On April 9th of 2024, sophomore Christian McGhee raised his hand and asked his English teacher whether her reference to the word “aliens” referred to “space aliens, or illegal aliens who need green cards?”
The school decided to suspend Christian for three days out of school, with the administration equating his question to a vicious racial slur, according to court documents. Christian was also prohibited from competing in a track meet.
On May 7th, 2024 the Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit against the Davidson County Board of Education on behalf of the 16-year-old.
According to the settlement, the school board will pay $20,000 to the family of Christian McGhee, a former student at Central Davidson High School. McGhee and his parents, Leah and Chad McGhee, filed the lawsuit last year.
The settlement also requires the district to update McGhee’s school record and remove any suggestion that his comments were racially motivated. While the out-of-school suspension remains, it will now be listed as being due to a general disruption to class.
The Proposed Settlement includes a public apology from the Board for the mischaracterization of racial bias in McGhee’s school records.
A key part of the agreement is a formal apology from a board member, who had previously made public statements regarding the incident. The settlement notes that the board member “privately apologized to Christian McGhee and his parents and took responsibility for the statement issued.”
In a joint statement filed as part of the agreement, both sides said:
“While the [Davidson County School] Board maintains that the disciplinary action imposed was appropriate due to class disruption caused by the comments at issue, the Board apologizes for the mischaracterization of racial bias arising from Christian’s comments and will remove any reference to race or racial bias as a motive for the comments from his educational record, which contains no other incidences of discipline related to racial bias. The Board also acknowledges the inappropriate response to this matter by a sitting member. That member has taken accountability for their actions and has privately apologized to the family. 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.”
McGhee’s attorney, Dean McGee, Educational Freedom Attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, said the family brought the lawsuit not just to correct the record, but to stand up for their son.
“On Friday, we filed a motion asking the court to approve a settlement that would resolve this matter. Because Christian is a minor, a court hearing is required before the settlement can become final. We’ll have more to say after that hearing, which is currently scheduled for July 1st. We’re pleased to take this important step toward clearing our clients name,” McGee said.