(LibertySociety.com) – Leah McGhee was undoubtedly shocked when she learned that her 16-year-old son received a three-day suspension from a North Carolina high school for using the term “illegal alien.”
According to McGhee, her son was in English class at Central Davidson High School and was given a vocabulary assignment that included the word “alien.” He asked the teacher if she meant “like space aliens or illegal aliens” who did not possess a green card. One student in the classroom was offended by his use of the term and threatened a physical altercation with McGhee’s son. The teacher then notified the assistant principal of the incident. Later that day, her son was punished for using a term that they believed would offend Hispanic students.
McGhee detailed the incident in an email to a local newspaper, where she revealed that her son was accused of promoting racism when he used the term. She wrote that he was devastated and worried that he would not be able to receive a track scholarship with a disciplinary record for racism. She noted that the school would not agree to remove the suspension from his school record, prompting the family to contact an attorney. McGhee’s son also commented on the incident to the newspaper, arguing that his statement was not directed at any one person. He pointed out that people from any other country would need a green card and that the term was often used on news broadcasts when referencing people who have come into the United States illegally.
McGhee and her son provided a full recount of the incident during an appearance on a local podcast. McGhee correctly pointed out that the term is used in the text of federal laws and media broadcasts. News outlets that reached out to the school only received a generic response. The school claimed that all incidents were thoroughly investigated and taken seriously.
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