NC considers new suspension rules after student punished for comment about ‘illegal aliens’ – The Virginian-Pilot

In response to a high school student who was expelled from class for saying “illegal aliens” need a green card, North Carolina lawmakers are pushing for changes to state law.

The North Carolina Senate Education Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would allow public schools to appeal short-term suspensions of five days or more. The bill would also allow students to have short-term suspensions expunged from their records if they meet conditions such as not being suspended again in the same school year.

The bill follows the national attention Christian McGhee received after he was suspended for three days for asking his English teacher at Central Davidson High School if she meant “aliens” to mean “extraterrestrials or illegal aliens who need a green card.”

Senator Steve Jarvis, a Republican from Davidson County, is the bill’s lead sponsor and has been in contact with McGhee’s family.

“It addresses important issues in the education system related to the policy on short-term suspensions,” Jarvis told the committee.

House Bill 207 will now move to the Senate Rules Committee for a vote. The bill has received bipartisan support from Democratic lawmakers.

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Family wants to lift suspension

McGhee was formerly a 16-year-old sophomore at Central Davidson High in Lexington, which is south of Winston-Salem and about 110 miles west of Raleigh. He has since left the school after family said he became a victim of bullying as a result of the incident.

According to school records, he was suspended for three days in April for making what the school called a “racially motivated” and “racially insensitive” comment. The family was unable to appeal the ruling. State law only allows for appeals for long-term suspensions lasting more than 10 days.

The Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the family last month, accusing the Davidson County school system of violating the student’s rights to free speech, education and due process. The family is seeking damages and to have the suspension expunged from school records.

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“We have all done stupid things”

Most short-term suspensions of high school students last five days or longer.

Senator Tom McInnis, a Republican from Moore County, said the bill is “important legislation,” citing the case of a constituent’s daughter who was recently suspended from school for 10 days for a school prank.

McInnnis said the student has a 4.0 grade point average. However, he said her college plans could be affected if the suspension is not expunged from school records.

“We’ve all done stupid things,” McInnin said. “Some of us have been caught, some of us haven’t. This young lady was caught by accident.”