NC student, 16, suspended for asking to define 'aliens'

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

A North Carolina high school suspended a 16-year-old student last week for his use of the word "alien," documents reviewed by Crisis in the Classroom show. The student received a three-day out-of-school suspension after he requested clarification on a vocabulary assignment in which his teacher provided the term "alien," according to his mother, Leah McGhee. The assignment was purportedly part of an ethics lesson. The student was purportedly worried the suspension would weaken his chances of receiving a scholarship for pole vaulting. The student asked his teacher, "like, space aliens or aliens without green cards?" This prompted a classmate to threaten him, according to McGhee. Assistant Principal Eric Anderson allegedly claimed the comment was "racially insensitive" and disrespectful to Hispanic students.

Posted by gracieamazed at 04:55 PM | 20 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Good. There's no call for this.

#1 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2024-04-17 05:30 PM | Reply

Crisis in the Classroom was created by Sinclair Broadcasting to push the far-right agenda in schools.

I am not surprised a student got into trouble for using the phrase "alien" to refer to non-citizens in a class discussion. "Illegal alien" is widely considered to be offensive.

#2 | Posted by rcade at 2024-04-17 05:36 PM | Reply

Too bad the teacher didn't have a gun.

#3 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-04-17 05:44 PM | Reply

"racially insensitive" and disrespectful to Hispanic students.

What the heck are Hispanic students doing in NC? I thought Boaz ordered all foreigners to stay out of his state.

#4 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-04-17 05:48 PM | Reply | Funny: 2

More from the cited article...

... The student asked his teacher, "like, space aliens or aliens without green cards?" This prompted a classmate to threaten him, according to McGhee. Assistant Principal Eric Anderson allegedly claimed the comment was "racially insensitive" and disrespectful to Hispanic students.

I didn't make a statement directed towards anyone; I asked a question," the student said, according to McGhee. "I wasn't speaking of Hispanics because everyone from other countries need[s] green cards, and the term illegal alien' is an ACTUAL term that I hear on the news and can find in the dictionary."

The student was purportedly worried the suspension would weaken his chances of receiving a scholarship for pole vaulting.

"If this was handled properly in the classroom, it could have easily been used as a teachable moment for everyone," McGhee told The Pete Kaliner Show. "I feel that the negligence of the administration's decision has fueled the injustice of suspension for a student who simply asked for clarification to a teacher's instructions."

The suspension's place on the student's school record was "very dangerous" to his character and reputation, according to McGhee. She has pointed to his leadership record with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and involvement in school sports and clubs. ...

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-04-17 06:00 PM | Reply

#5 Thanks for reading the whole article.

#6 | Posted by gracieamazed at 2024-04-17 08:34 PM | Reply

@#6

I usually do.

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-04-17 08:50 PM | Reply

"Illegal alien" is widely considered to be offensive.

By snowflakes, maybe.

Alien is a legal word with a legal definition and categories.

www.law.cornell.edu

If this is true, this is stupid and the school overreacted. If they did nothing about to the student who made a threat, then they acted entirely inappropriately.

#8 | Posted by jpw at 2024-04-18 09:13 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

"weaken his chances of receiving a scholarship for pole vaulting."

Is that what the young people are calling it these days?

#9 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-04-18 11:07 AM | Reply

Poor guy just trying to help illegal aliens pole vault over The Wall.

#10 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-04-18 12:27 PM | Reply

Alien is a legal word with a legal definition and categories.

And Operation ------- was created by a U.S. attorney general. Official use doesn't make a word inoffensive forever.

The term "illegal alien" is offensive because it has been used by bigots for decades as dehumanizing language. No one should be using it in a class discussion.

Even if the school's punishment is excessive, and it sounds like it is, the student shouldn't have used the term.

#11 | Posted by rcade at 2024-04-18 02:02 PM | Reply

"legal word with a legal definition"

Are we in court right now, or did I put on this suit and comb my hair for nothing?

#12 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-04-18 02:09 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

For a long period of time, during the BushJr and Obama administrations, the term "undocumented immigrants" had become the common phrase for immigrants in America without visas or with expired visas.

Then Trump showed up and along with claiming Mexico is sending "criminals and rapists" he started using the term "illegal aliens" again.

Not surprisingly, it caught on like wildfire amongst deplorable, xenophobic MAGAts.

#13 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-04-18 03:18 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

So what are we supposed to call them now?

"Long term house sitters, without borders"

#14 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2024-04-18 03:48 PM | Reply

"Illegal alien" is widely considered to be offensive."

The term has been in used for generations and is only now "considered offensive" because a few loud people decided to take offense. Not to mention it being, technically, correct.
Really depends more on intent, context.
Probably better to just finally fix the damned immigrant worker situation and make the term irrelevant.

#15 | Posted by morris at 2024-04-18 04:07 PM | Reply

Illegal alien?

Deine Papelen, Bitte.

#16 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-04-18 04:17 PM | Reply

Too bad the teacher didn't have a gun.

#3 | Posted by snoofy

why ?

#17 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-04-18 04:47 PM | Reply

Too bad the teacher didn't have a gun.

#3 | Posted by snoofy

why ?

#17 | POSTED BY SHRIMPTACODAN AT 2024-04-18 04:47 PM | FLAG:

Why? Because Snoofy condones the "right kind" of gun violence. Same with gun laws, he argues that they only apply to people who don't agree with his politics.

#18 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2024-04-18 09:45 PM | Reply

...it could have easily been used as a teachable moment for everyone," McGhee told...

This, too many folks are just dying to be offended. Not saying his question wasn't stupid, but it could have been answered. Both of his examples were correct, the word alien has a much more generic definition than most people see.
It's a shame that the Cons have managed to redefine even the concept of a political alien.

#19 | Posted by TFDNihilist at 2024-04-19 09:13 AM | Reply

Speaking of aliens, check out Resident Alien on Netflix if you like dry humor.

#20 | Posted by jpw at 2024-04-19 09:31 AM | Reply