North Carolina
Legislation to clarify NC school suspensions finds initial bipartisan support • NC Newsline
Leah McGhee said when her son was suspended from Central Davidson High School, she could not appeal the punishment because it was less than 10 days.
According to McGhee, her 16-year-old son was only seeking clarification when his teacher used the word aliens in class, and he asked whether that reference was to “space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards.”
The student received a three day out-of-school suspension for what was deemed a racially motivated comment which disrupted the class.
“The Board’s policies do not prevent students from using the words alien, illegal alien, or green card, nor does it state that these words are racially insensitive or abusive,” McGhee told members of the state Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.
Republican Davidson County Senator Steve Jarvis said the incident resulted in much confusion and frustration because there was little information provided regarding the school policy and how particularly the student violated those guidelines.
Currently, North Carolina students have the statutory right to appeal any long-term suspension, which is 10 days or longer. However, the same rights and protections are not awarded or given to students who receive short-term suspensions.
“This bill aims to rectify this disparity by granting students who receive short-term suspensions lasting five days or more, the same rights to those who are suspended 10 days or more,” said Sen. Jarvis in explaining his proposed committee substitute for House Bill 207.
The measure would also ensure that high school students who receive a short-term suspension of five days have the opportunity to appeal the principal’s decision to the district’s superintendent.
The bill also mandates that the school accept eyewitness reports from the student or members of school staff regarding incidents that led to the short-term or long-term suspension.
“It is crucial for our students to know why they are disciplined and to understand the section of the school’s code of conduct as well as how specifically it was violated,” Sen. Jarvis said. “Without this knowledge, they cannot make a fully comprehend their actions or how to address them. Therefore, the bill seeks and requires that students receive this detailed information.”
Democratic Wake County Senator Jay Chaudhuri agreed that this was a due process issue for students and their parents.
“We know that short-term suspensions increase the probability of getting long-term suspensions that may ultimately result in that student dropping out of school and potentially entering into the correctional system,” said Chaudhuri.
Senator Gladys Robinson, who has often raised concerns about the disproportionate number of Black students who are suspended and expelled from schools, praised the measure.
“This is a step in the right direction to address the huge number of suspensions that affect our children, especially as you look at the disparity amongst races and how that is disparagingly affecting their long-term ability to continue to higher education and trade schools or wherever they are able to go,” said Robinson.
The Guilford County Democrat also said she liked expungement provisions in the bill that would allow high school students to clear their record if certain specific criteria have been met.
During the 2022-23 school year, North Carolina recorded 247,454 suspensions in grades K-12.
Out of the 84,539 high school short-term suspensions, nearly 67,000 lasted longer than 6-10 days, according to Sen. Jarvis. More than 17,000 cases lasted five days.
NC Newsline has previously reported that Black students are suspended from North Carolina’s public schools at four times the rate of white students.
McGhee said that in her son’s case, she only received a one-sentence explanation that his remarks were racially insensitive. Efforts to speak with the school principal went unanswered.
“This bill simply by saying you have to write in details and give eyewitness accounts is going to help more than you even know,” McGhee testified.
While the legislation appears to have support on both sides of the aisle, the McGhees filed suit last month against the Davidson County Board of Education. They claim their 16-year-old suffered ‘reputational harm’ and school denied him his right to free speech. The family is seeking to have his record cleared and unspecified monetary damages.
House Bill 207 is likely to receive a vote in next week’s Senate Education Committee.
CHARLOTTE, NC (WCNC) – North Carolina is becoming a leader in artificial intelligence adoption among businesses – ranking ninth in the nation, according to a new LendingTree report. Over 22% of businesses in the state already utilize AI, with many more planning to incorporate it in the near future.
“I’m not surprised at all that North Carolina ranks high on the list in part because it’s a tech-forward state,” said Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst with LendingTree. “There is a lot of financial institutions in that state and no one should be surprised that NC is on the cutting edge with using AI in businesses.”
The report also sheds light on the implications of AI for the workforce. Generative AI usage makes up around 85% of overall AI business usage. Most companies are using the technology for repetitive tasks such as summarizing information, analyzing data, drafting content, or assisting with customer service.
Large companies are leading the way in AI usage. Businesses with over 250 employees use AI at a rate of 37.3% while companies with fewer than five employees use AI at a rate of 19%.
Charles Gaddy was tuna fishing with his dad on Sunday, more than 40 miles northeast of Oregon Inlet, when he saw something he’d never seen before.
“I was just looking in the water, seeing if, you know, any birds or anything, and I see this big gray fish with white dots,” said Gaddy. “Just from reading books and watching movies as a kid, I was like, ‘that’s got to be a whale shark.’”
The 18-year-old said they circled it. He grabbed his GoPro camera and started recording.
“It’s just sitting there, swimming beside us. It really, truly was amazing,” said Gaddy.
Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish. They’re currently listed as endangered by the Union for the Conservation of Nature.
In the Western Atlantic, whale sharks are primarily found in the Gulf and throughout the Caribbean, according to Eric Hoffmayer, a research fishing biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. He said they’ve seen numerous whale sharks make their way up the Gulf Stream, ending up in the New England area in late summer and early fall.
“We had an animal last year that we tagged off Tampa and within a month was off New York, and cruised right past North Carolina about this time of year,” said Hoffmayer. “It’s not unheard of, but it’s not real common either.”
Gaddy recognized how lucky he was to experience a sighting.
“To be able to see one in person, especially locally, it’s very truly amazing,” said Gaddy. “It’s no doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m no doubt very blessed.”
If you do encounter a whale shark in the wild, Hoffmayer said, you need to be careful if you’re in a boat because they spend a lot of time at the surface. If you get in the water, keep a safe distance.
“Most people I’ve talked to who have encountered whale sharks, it’s like a life-changing experience,” said Hoffmayer. “It’s really cool to see an animal that large in the wild doing its thing.”
You can report whale shark sightings to the University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Fisheries Research and Development. If you’re able to capture a good picture of a whale shark, you can see if it matches one already in a database by uploading the photo and information about the sighting online.
OMAHA, Neb. — The championship series is set. And without a doubt, the two hottest teams, North Carolina and Oklahoma, are paired to play for a national title at the College World Series.
There was no backing into the finals for these squads, one that looked like a contender all season and one that did not until two weeks ago.
North Carolina (53-12-1) and Oklahoma (41-22) swept through opposite brackets at Charles Schwab Field. UNC punctuated its three-game run with a 12-7 victory Wednesday against West Virginia. OU followed by defeating Georgia, the regular-season and postseason SEC champ, 11-4.
Iconic brands in college sports, the Tar Heels and Sooners will meet Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in the opening game of a best-of-three series.
North Carolina seeks its first national championship in baseball. It lost in the finals in 2006 and 2007. Oklahoma has won two crowns, most recently in 1994, and it lost in the finals in 2022.
LET’S PLAY FOR A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/588pVssfOR
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) June 18, 2026
“It really hasn’t set in yet,” said UNC second baseman Gavin Gallaher, who was 4 for 5 on Wednesday with four RBIs. “After the game, we shook hands, and I was just kind of walking around, looking up in the stands, looking at my family, just kind of speechless, to be honest.”
The Tar Heels were seeded fifth in the 64-team field announced on Memorial Day. In Omaha, they have not trailed by more than one run — and for just three innings. North Carolina’s pitching staff, on maximum rest during its stay in Omaha, is set up well for the weekend.
Junior ace starter Jason DeCaro, who worked 6 2/3 innings Friday, enters the championship series in position to start the opener. Star freshman Caden Glauber, who was needed for 2 1/3 innings Wednesday afternoon as WVU mounted a comeback, has thrown only 54 pitches in the CWS. The Tar Heels are 28-0 this year when Glauber appears in a game. He’s won 11 decisions without a loss.
Sixth-year coach Scott Forbes took over in 2021 for Mike Fox, who brought North Carolina to the CWS seven times. Bids for a first national title fell short in 2006 and 2007 against Oregon State in the championship series.
Forbes joined Fox’s staff before that 2006 season as a 31-year-old pitching coach.
“I’m trying not to get emotional,” Forbes said, “just thinking about that team and Coach Fox giving me the opportunity. I wasn’t the popular hire at the time. There were a lot bigger names. I had never been a pitching coach. But Coach Fox saw something in me and gave me that opportunity.”
Oklahoma returns to the championship series for the second time in five years. It lost to Ole Miss in 2022. The Rebels that year were the first team to win a championship with a losing record in conference play.
OU is attempting to become the second.
Coach Skip Johnson’s team finished 14-16 in the SEC and lost four consecutive league series to close the regular season. But the Sooners clawed back in Regional play, winning two elimination games at Georgia Tech, the No. 2 overall seed.
OU swept Kansas in a Super Regional and beat SEC foes Alabama and Georgia before it won the rematch Wednesday night against the Bulldogs.
The Sooners remade their pitching rotation in the postseason to ride three true freshmen: left-hander Cord Rager, a season-long starter, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski. The latter duo had combined to start four games this season before they both beat the Bulldogs, who came to Omaha with the most powerful lineup in college baseball.
Wesloski fired 5 2/3 innings Wednesday and struck out four, one off his career high.
Rager and Mercurius have inspired Wesloski, he said.
“Seeing the way they dominated and they carry themselves,” he said, “those guys are just elite. Watching them go about their process has made me a better pitcher. Those guys look unstoppable, unbeatable. It’s added to my confidence level. They influence me a ton.”
OU got hot at the plate, too. In eliminating Georgia, it homered five times, including two apiece by Jason Walk and Dasan Harris. Before Wednesday, Walk had hit four bombs in 200 at-bats; Harris had four in 137 at-bats.
Twenty-five of Oklahoma’s 90 home runs this year have come in 10 postseason games.
It pays to get hot at the right time.
“You’re looking at a baseball team, a selfless baseball team that’s really fun to be around,” said Johnson, the ninth-year OU coach. “Hopefully, I can just stay out of the way the next two or three games.”
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