Settlement orders school to formally apologize and pay $20,000 to student suspended for saying "illegal aliens" in class. (istock/Getty)
The 16-year-old student was suspended in April of last year after using the term "illegal aliens" during an English class discussion.
"Do you mean space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards?" the student asked.
The student was later suspended for three days and marks denoting "racially insensitive behavior" were added to his permanent record.
The story of Christian McGhee caught the eyes of Donald Trump, who wrote the student a personal recommendation letter as he seeks an athletic scholarship in the years ahead, according to the Liberty Justice Center, which helped with the litigation.
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In addition to the public apology required in the settlement, the school must correct the student's permanent record so it no longer denotes racial insensitivity and also acknowledge "the inappropriate response to this matter by a former member." (iStock)
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According to the Liberty Justice Center, McGhee's mother spoke up in defense of her son after the incident happened, including at school board meetings, which led to an alleged attempt to smear her. The center claimed that two board members sent messages to county leaders and residents with the mother's arrest record and encouraged people to post it on social media.
Neither Davidson County Schools, nor the district's board, responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/student-suspended-saying-illegal-aliens-class-gets-cash-apology-from-school