North Carolina high school student, 16, is suspended for saying 'illegal alien' in class
A North Carolina high school student has been suspended for using the phrase 'illegal alien' in class.
Christian McGhee, 16, was suspended for three days from Central Davidson High School, after using the term during a classroom discussion about word meanings.
Christian questioned the term 'alien' in an assignment, asking if it referred to 'space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards,' as reported by the Carolina Journal.
His comment reportedly offended another student who physically threatened McGhee, leading to the involvement of school authorities.
'I didn't make a statement directed towards anyone — I asked a question,' Christian told the Carolina Journal.
Christian McGhee, 16, was suspended for three days from Central Davidson High School, after using the term during a classroom discussion about word meanings
Christian questioned the term 'alien' in an assignment, asking if it referred to 'space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards (pictured, center)
His comment reportedly offended another student, who physically threatened McGhee which led to the involvement of school authorities at Central Davidson High School in Lexington, North Carolina (pictured)
'I wasn't speaking of Hispanics because everyone from other countries needs green cards, and the term 'illegal alien' is an actual term that I hear on the news and can find in the dictionary,' he added.
His suspension could impact his chance of securing an athletic scholarship for college as he played on his school's track and cross country teams.
His mother, Leah McGhee, said that despite their efforts, the assistant principal has been unwilling to remove the infraction from Christian's record.
'Because of his question, our son was disciplined and given THREE days OUT of school suspension for 'racism,' wrote Christian's mother in the email, reported by the Carolina Journal.
His mother, Leah McGhee (pictured), said that despite their efforts, the assistant principal has been unwilling to remove the infraction from Christian's record
'I didn't make a statement directed towards anyone — I asked a question,' Christian told the Carolina Journal
'Christian is devastated and concerned that the racism label on his school record will harm his future goal of receiving a track scholarship. We are concerned that he will fall behind in his classes due to being absent for three consecutive days.'
State Senator Steve Jarvis, representing Davidson County, has reached out to the school district's superintendent, urging officials to look for the best outcome.
However, Jarvis refrained from taking a stance on the issue, and explained that he needed to understand all perspectives involved.
'I do not see that that would be an offensive statement, just in getting clarification,' he said. 'But there again, I don't know. I don't know the situation of this particular incident.'