NC student’s suspension for ‘racially motivated comment’ could lead to statewide changes
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The case of a North Carolina high school student suspended for making a “racially motivated comment” could lead to changes statewide under a bill a Senate committee considered Wednesday.
Leah McGhee told state lawmakers about the matter involving her 16-year-old son Christian who received a short-term suspension from Central Davidson High School on April 9, which they were unable to appeal.
NC area schools suspend disproportionate number of Black students, data shows
The McGhees have sued the school district regarding the incident. In that lawsuit, the McGhees say their son left class to use the restroom. When he returned, the word “aliens” was used during class discussion.
The lawsuit says Christian asked if it referred to “space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards,” to which the teacher told him to “watch your mouth.” The lawsuit also claims a Hispanic student threatened to beat up the teen.
Leah McGhee says her son’s comment was not racially motivated nor was it intended to be threatening. They wanted the school board to reverse the decision to suspend him for three days and remove the suspension from his record.
“The absolute hell that our family has been through the last 60 days, I cannot express in words,” said Leah McGhee.
NC teacher suspended, accused of writing racial slur on board
State Sen. Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson) introduced a bill Wednesday that would give students and their families the ability to appeal some short-term suspensions and seek expunctions of their records. Currently, only long-term suspensions of more than 10 days are eligible for appeal and expunction, Sen. Jarvis noted.
“Ultimately, this bill is about upholding due process for students if they believe they were unfairly punished,” said Sen. Jarvis. “We can ensure that our students are treated fairly and have appropriate avenues to address their concerns.”
The bill would grant students the ability to appeal a short-term suspension of five or more days. It also requires a “detailed, written eyewitness account” of the incident in question.
Democrats also voiced support for the bill.
“Short-term suspensions increase the probability of getting long-term suspension that may ultimately result in that student dropping out of school and potentially entering into the correctional system,” said Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake). “Hopefully, providing the resources for these students so we can lower short-term suspension rates and help students lead a more productive life.”
Sen. Jarvis noted in the 2022-2023 school year there were 66,794 short-term suspensions in high schools that lasted at least six days, which is what’s covered under the bill. The remaining 17,745 suspensions were five days or fewer.
“High schoolers face considerable pressure to maintain a clean record for graduation, making it important for them to address the potential long-term effects that short-term suspensions can have,” said Sen. Jarvis.
The Senate Education Committee could vote on the bill next week.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
