North Carolina high school student gets $20,000 and apology for suspension after 'illegal aliens' comment in class

T. Keung Hui, The News & Observer on Jun 6, 2025

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RALEIGH, N.C. — A North Carolina school district has agreed to pay $20,000 and publicly apologize to a high school student who was suspended and accused of making “racially insensitive” comments for saying “illegal aliens” in class.

Christian McGhee was suspended for three days in April 2024 after asking his English teacher at Central Davidson High School whether her reference to the word aliens referred to “space aliens, or illegal aliens who need green cards.”

A federal judge signed an order Wednesday to schedule a July 1 hearing to formally approve the lawsuit settlement. Court documents include a joint statement where the family and the Davidson County school system said the settlement will allow “our community to move forward from this incident.”

The suspension drew national headlines last year with conservative groups rallying around the family.

“While the Board maintains that the disciplinary action imposed was appropriate due to class disruption caused by the comments at issue, the Board apologizes for the mischaracterization of racial bias arising from Christian’s comments and will remove any reference to race or racial bias as a motive for the comments from his educational record, which contains no other incidences of discipline related to racial Bias,” the joint statement reads.

Asking teacher about ‘illegal aliens’

Christian was a 16-year-old sophomore at Central Davidson High in Lexington, which is south of Winston-Salem and about 110 miles west of Raleigh.

Christian is listed as C.M. in the federal lawsuit that was filed on the family’s behalf by the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center. His parents have been public about their son’s suspension.

Christian missed part of a vocabulary lesson in Haley Hill’s English class on April 9, 2024, when he went to the bathroom, the lawsuit says.

“Upon his return to English class, the word ‘aliens’ was used during class discussion,” according to the lawsuit. “C.M. raised his hand and asked Ms. Hill whether the reference to aliens referred to ‘space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards.’” Hill responded, saying, “Watch your mouth (C.M.).”

The following day, Christian received the three-day suspension. According to the suspension notice, Christian “made a racially insensitive comment” and was “using/making (a) racially motivated comment which disrupts class.”

District will pay private school tuition

The family has repeatedly denied that Christian was making a racially motivated comment.

Leah McGhee, Christian’s mother, told a state legislative committee last year that her son’s question wasn’t racist because alien is not a race. Lawmakers had considered but ultimately didn’t pass legislation to give families the right to appeal short-term suspensions of 10 or fewer days from school.

According to court documents, the family and the district agreed after a year of litigation on a settlement “that is fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of” Christian. This includes the public apology and removing the reference to racial bias from his records.

“C.M. will soon be applying to colleges, and it is important to ensure that false allegations of racism do not unfairly impede his college opportunities,” according to court documents.

In addition, a school board member agreed to privately apologize to the family. In court documents, school board members were accused of spreading misleading texts to community members about Leah McGhee serving time for opioid possession a decade ago.

The district also agreed to pay $20,000, according to court records, to defray the tuition costs of the private school that Christian is now attending. The family has said Christian withdrew from Central Davidson High after receiving threats and being bullied and harassed about the suspension.

“The McGhees are grateful for the steps taken by the Board to correct Christian’s school record, ensuring that he can continue his education without this incident hanging over him,” according to the joint statement.

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