North Carolina

Lawyer: North Carolina school suspending student over 'illegal alien' term shows 'total lack of empathy'

Published

2 years ago

May 9, 2024

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Lawyer: North Carolina school suspending student over 'illegal alien' term shows 'total lack of empathy'

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Dean McGee is “in it for the long haul” to find justice for the McGhee family after their 16-year-old son was suspended for using the term “illegal alien” at his North Carolina school.

In April, Christian McGhee was suspended for three days after asking a teacher whether her reference to the word “aliens” referred to “space aliens, or illegal aliens who need green cards.” After a student allegedly threatened to “kick his a—” for using the term, Christian was referred to the assistant principal who concluded it was a “racially motivated comment which disrupts class.”

In response, the Liberty Justice Center, where McGee works as the Education Freedom Attorney, announced a lawsuit against the Davidson County Board of Education on behalf of the family on Tuesday.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, McGee described the school as effectively attributing racism when it wasn’t there.

16-year-old Christian McGhee faced a “harsh punishment” over using the term “illegal alien,” according to McGee. (Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images/Brian A. Jackson/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SUSPENDED OVER USING THE TERM ‘ILLEGAL ALIEN’: REPORT

“It’s the assistant principal, the administrator, who elevated this to a racial incident where one did not exist. The boy who responded to our client said, ‘hold on, I wasn’t really offended. This isn’t a big deal.’ And the words of the assistant principal, these are his own words, explained what he said to our client’s mother, ‘No, sir. Those words are a big deal,’” McGee said.

“In other words, the assistant principal was telling this boy, well, you might not be offended, but you should be offended,” he added.

McGee also recalled that Leah McGhee, Christian’s mother, had suggested a mediation session between the two families and the faculty to discuss the situation rather than dole out punishment.

“And the assistant principal said no. Harsh punishment. Three days out of school suspension. That was his solution. Not empathy, not understanding, just punishing this child and branding him racist on his permanent record,” McGee said. “But the ironic result is a total lack of empathy toward either student, total lack of healing, lack of a learning opportunity, and just meeting out punishment, stigmatizing, branding a 16-year-old boy in a way that could harm his future if it’s not fixed.”

Although the McGhee family has faced backlash and threats on the assumption that Christian said something racist, McGee noted that there has also been overwhelming support for the family.

The McGhee family is demanding an apology from the school and school board over Christian’s suspension. (iStock)

“I don’t mean to downplay the harassment and threats that my client and his mother received. But there’s also been an outpouring of support, and I think that support just comes from a place of intuitive empathy for a kid who is being mistreated by his own school and in such a vicious way that has a potential impact on his future,” McGee said.

Public opinion also appeared to take the McGhee family’s side at the Davidson County Board of Education meeting Monday night. All but two speakers voiced their support for Christian McGhee and attacked the school board for failing to address his suspension.

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“You are not in any way, shape or form helping our students. By the way, if you squash a student’s question, you squash education. I’m appalled, and you still got the smirk on your face. I so hope you get voted out,” one speaker said.

The McGhee family is seeking a public apology from the school board on the matter and demanding that the suspension be removed from Christian’s record. In the event the district court does not rule in their favor, they are prepared to appeal.

McGee took issue with the fact that it was the school, not the students, who saw something wrong with the term “illegal alien.” (iStock)

“Our organization has appealed in the past and won a case at the Supreme Court. We would be willing to do that here if it’s necessary. We’re in it for the long haul for this family,” McGee said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Davidson County Board of Education members for a comment.

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North Carolina

These 4 Western NC towns are among WorldAtlas favorites for 2026

Published

2 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

These 4 Western NC towns are among WorldAtlas favorites for 2026

A new list from WorldAtlas named the publication’s top 10 favorite North Carolina towns of 2026, including several locations located in Western North Carolina.

Founded in 1994 by cartographer John Moen and his wife, Chris Woolwine-Moen, WorldAtlas publishes educational materials and articles on geography, sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics, and travel.

Previous Citizen Times articles have covered numerous mentions of Western North Carolina from WorldAtlas, including “idyllic” and “unpretentious” towns, scenic drives, a favorite downtown area, and more. In the new list, published March 9, WorldAtlas writers chose their all-time favorite North Carolina towns ― almost half of which were located in the western region of the state.

Here’s what WorldAtlas had to say about mountain North Carolina towns, plus the full list and more.

What to do in Banner Elk, N.C.

WorldAtlas noted the range of activities offered in Banner Elk throughout the year. The town sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains between the Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain ski resorts. Writers highlighted the following locations and activities in Banner Elk:

Wildcat Lake, which has a lifeguarded white-sand beach and is used for swimming, non-motorized boating and fishing for largemouth bass, trout, and bluegill
Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum, a museum located at Grandfather Mountain
The Mile High Swinging Bridge, the highest suspension footbridge in the United States, which visitors can cross on foot

What to do in Blowing Rock, N.C.

Also included on the WorldAtlas list, Blowing Rock takes its name from a rock formation where the wind appears to blow upward. The list highlighted the following locations and activities in Blowing Rock:

The town’s namesake, “Blowing Rock,” is a rock formation known for views of Johns River Gorge and the surrounding forest
Fishing, spelunking and rock climbing opportunities in the area
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, also known locally as “Cone Park,” which has hiking trails and is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Memorial Park on Main Street, where town events and concerts often take place

What to do in Brevard, N.C.

Brevard, also known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” is home to more than 200 waterfalls located across Transylvania County. WorldAtlas highlighted the following locations and activities in Brevard:

Museums, trails, rock climbing and the surrounding area’s many waterfalls
Guided Jeep and hiking tours to view waterfalls throughout Transylvania County
Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas, a museum displaying artifacts from U.S. military conflicts
Transylvania Heritage Museum, a museum focused on local history and genealogy

What to do in Hot Springs, N.C.

Hot Springs’ name comes from the natural springs that attract visitors from across the state and region. The springs are commonly visited by hikers seeking relief after traveling along the Appalachian Trail, which runs through the town. WorldAtlas highlighted the following activities and events:

Kayaking on the French Broad River
Trailfest, a celebration of hiking typically held in April
French Broad River Festival, a celebration of the French Broad River held each year on the first weekend of May
White-water rafting and ziplining opportunities in the area
Fishing, skiing, sport shooting, golf, disc golf, biking and horseback riding opportunities throughout the area
A range of accommodations including campgrounds, privately owned cabins, apartments, suites and cottages, with options from basic to luxury experiences

WorldAtlas’s best towns in North Carolina

The full list of WorldAtlas’s favorite North Carolina towns of 2026 included:

Banner Elk
Beaufort
Blowing Rock
Brevard
Davidson
Edenton
Hot Springs
Seagrove
Manteo
Wrightsville Beach

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

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North Carolina

‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

Published

14 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

‘It was dire’: NC State professor returns from Qatar after being trapped during Iran war

An North Carolina State University professor is back home Monday night after he was trapped in the Middle East as war with Iran broke out.

Rich Spontak was stuck in Qatar while traveling from Bangkok to Spain and was forced to stay in the country for about a week. Several travelers were trapped for days in the Middle East after Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several defense leaders were
killed in joint strikes by the United States and Israel.

Spontak, like many travelers, found himself stranded in the Middle East after the initial attacks, which quickly entangled more surrounding countries, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where seven U.S. service members were killed in retaliatory attacks from Iran.

Spontak said there were times he thought he wouldn’t make it out.

“I would just keep looking out and looking for the missiles,” Spontak said. “Some people that I met along the way were hit by shrapnel from the missles. It was dire.”

Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria remained closed, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Azerbaijan also shut the southern sector of its airspace on Thursday after accusing Iran of a drone attack that injured four civilians and damaged an airport building.

Lilia Austin, a Chapel Hill woman who was part of a group of 100 women who went to Israel for a trip the day before Khamenei was killed, also returned home on Sunday after she left Israel through Egypt.

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North Carolina

Gov. Stein proposes $1.4B ‘critical needs’ budget for North Carolina

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Gov. Stein proposes .4B ‘critical needs’ budget for North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) — With North Carolina still without a new state budget, Gov. Josh Stein is urging state lawmakers to approve a $1.4 billion “Critical Needs Budget.” Stein says this budget will address the state’s most urgent priorities while the General Assembly works on a full spending plan.

“North Carolina has gone nearly two and a half years without passing a new state budget – the only state in the country to finish 2025 without one[…]This budget invests in critical public safety, education and health care services for the people of North Carolina that cannot wait,” Gov. Stein said in a press release Monday.

A major part of Stein’s proposal is $319 million to fully fund Medicaid, which provides health coverage to over three million North Carolinians. This program also supports rural hospitals, nursing homes and statewide health care providers, per the release.

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The “Critical Needs Budget” would target public safety staffing and pay. According to the governor’s office, North Carolina currently ranks 49th in starting salaries for state troopers and correctional officers, and low pay has contributed to staffing shortages and vacancy rates. This budget would bring pay raises to correctional officers, law enforcement officers, probation and parole officers and more.

Stein’s proposed budget calls for raising starting and average teacher pay, as well as increasing pay for senior teachers and other education staff. The governor’s office said the state remains in the bottom 10 nationally in average teacher pay.

The budget proposal also includes pay increases for state employees and a cost-of-living adjustment for retired state employees, citing rising inflation costs and increasing health care premiums. Stein’s plan also includes targeted funding to maintain essential services, such as support for child care access and affordability.

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