A North Carolina high school student, Christian McGhee, was suspended for using the term “illegal alien” during an English class discussion on word meaning. Despite explaining that he was referencing the term as it is used in the news and in dictionaries, he was suspended for being offensive and disrespectful to his Hispanic classmates. Christian’s mother expressed concern that the suspension could impact his chances of receiving a college sports scholarship, as it would now be labeled as a racism incident on his school record.
The suspension has caused controversy, with Christian’s family hiring an attorney to help resolve the situation. Republican state Sen. Steve Jarvis has contacted the school district superintendent about the matter, but has not yet taken a stance on what should be done. The account Libs of TikTok and prominent figures like Elon Musk have expressed support for Christian, arguing that he should not be penalized for using the correct term just because of political correctness. There are calls for North Carolina officials to prevent Christian’s record from being tarnished due to this incident.
Christian and his family have defended his use of the term, citing its inclusion in the dictionary and frequent usage in news broadcasts. The family has raised concerns that the assistant principal has refused to remove the suspension from Christian’s record, potentially impacting his academic progress and future athletic opportunities. There are calls for the school district to handle the situation as a teachable moment rather than a disciplinary issue that could negatively impact Christian’s future goals.
The school has not provided specific comments on the incident due to federal protections for students, but they maintain that they take all discipline incidents seriously and investigate each one thoroughly. The student handbook outlines restrictions on students’ right to free speech when it is considered obscene, abusive, promotes illegal activities, or is expected to cause significant disruption to the school day. Despite the controversy surrounding Christian’s suspension, the school administration is committed to following the code of conduct and addressing violations appropriately.
The incident has sparked discussions about the boundaries of free speech in schools and the implications of political correctness on student disciplinary actions. Conservative voices have criticized the decision to suspend Christian for using a term that is considered accurate and acceptable in certain contexts. The situation highlights the need for schools to carefully consider how to address sensitive topics and ensure that disciplinary actions are reasonable and fair. As the community continues to debate the issue, there are hopes that a resolution can be reached that does not unfairly impact Christian’s future prospects.
