Using the term “illegal alien” is considered a punishable offense in a North Carolina high school.
In an email to Carolina Journal, Leah McGee described an incident at Central Davidson High School in Lexington, where her 16-year-old son was suspended for three days last week during term time.
According to McGee, the English teacher gave him an assignment that involved using words like the word "alien." In response, his son asked if the teacher meant "like aliens or illegal aliens without a green card?" »
Another student allegedly became violent in class and threatened to fight McGee's son, forcing the teacher to call the vice principal. Staff later deemed the term offensive to Hispanic students and punished him.
“As a result of his question, our son was disciplined and suspended from school for three days for 'racism,'” McGee wrote to Carolina Journal. "He is devastated and fears that the racist label on his academic record will harm his future goal of receiving an athletic scholarship. We are concerned that he will fall behind in his classes by being absent three days in a row."
She also said the school has so far refused to remove the suspension from her son's record and that her family has already started working with an attorney.
In response to the comment, McGee's son told Carolina Journal, “I made no statement against anyone; I asked a question. I wasn't talking about Hispanics because everyone in other countries needs green cards, and the term is "illegal alien." » “This is a real term that I hear in the news and can find in the dictionary. »