NC Supreme Court case tackles limits on private schools
>> WHEN YOU'RE IN SHORTSTOP.
>> CAN A PRIVATE SCHOOL EXPEL A
STUDENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING
THE PARENTS SAID OR DID TONIGHT
THE STATE SUPREME COURT IS
WORKING TO ANSWER THAT
QUESTION. A CHARLOTTE FAMILY
SAYS THEIR KID GOT THE BOOT
AFTER THE PARENTS PUBLICLY
CLASHED WITH ADMINISTRATORS
OVER SOME COVID POLICIES AND
DIVERSITY ISSUES. THE SCHOOL
SAYS SO WHAT PRIVATE SCHOOLS
HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO THAT
TO DECIDE WHO IS AND ISN'T PART
OF THEIR COMMUNITY WITH THIS
CASE HAS DRAWN SOME ATTENTION.
IT'S DRAWN IN LAWMAKERS,
NATIONAL ADVOCACY GROUPS, EVEN
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE
OUTCOME COULD AFFECT NOT JUST
PRIVATE SCHOOLS, BUT ANY
PRIVATE BUSINESS. IT DECIDES
THE CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS
RIGHT. I SPOKE WITH OUR STATE
GOVERNMENT REPORTER WILL DOOR
AND TO HELP US UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S AT STAKE.
ALL RIGHT. WE'LL LET'S START
FROM THE TOP. WHAT IS THE
FAMILY SAYING HE ARE AND WHAT
IS THE SCHOOL'S ARGUMENT?
>> SO THIS REALLY ALL STUFF
GOES BACK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE
PANDEMIC AND THE FAMILY HAD
SOME POINTS. BUT SCHOOLS MASK
RULES, BUT ESPECIALLY ABOUT
THINGS THAT THEY WERE DOING
ABOUT RACIAL INJUSTICE
OBVIOUSLY IS THE MIDDLE BLACK
LIVES MATTER MOVEMENTS. THEY
FELT LIKE TEACHERS WERE
PRESENTING ANTI-WHITE MATERIALS
IN THE CLASS AND THAT THEY WERE
FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON DIVERSITY
IN THEIR MISSIONS. AND THINGS
LIKE THAT MAY SAID THAT THEY
HAD CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THAT
COULD LEAD TO THE SCHOOL DOWN
THE ROAD. THEY BELIEVE THAT
THE TRUSTEES OF THE SCHOOL HAD
WANTED TO HEAR THAT AND HEAD BY
THEM TO MAKE THESE CONCERNS
PUBLIC. BUT THEN TURNED AROUND
AND FRAME SOME OF THOSE
CONCERNS AS BEING RACIST.
WHEN THEY CONTINUED MAKING
THOSE COMPLAINTS IN RAISING
THOSE ISSUES, THEN THE SCHOOL
EVENTUALLY SAID WE DON'T THINK
THIS IS A GOOD FIT ANYMORE AND
YOUR CHILDREN ARE EXPELLED.
SO THE FAMILY FEELS LIKE
THEY'RE BEING DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST. BUT THE SCHOOL'S
ARGUING LOOK, WE'RE A PRIVATE
SCHOOL, PRIVATE BUSINESS.
WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT. WE CAN
TEACH WE WANT AND WE CAN HAVE
THE PEOPLE COME IN BE STUDENTS
AND FAMILIES HERE AT THE SCHOOL
WHO WE WHO WE CHOOSE TO.
AND THERE'S PLENTY OF
PRECEDENT, I GUESS.
>> THAT BACKS THAT UP. EXACTLY.
THE SCHOOL'S ARGUMENT WAS LOOK,
COURTS HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA
HAS SAID FOR OVER 100 YEARS.
>> THAT PRIVATE SCHOOLS, 10
PICK AND CHOOSE WHO THEY WANT
TO BE IN THEIR STUDENT BODY
IN THE THEY HAVE A MISSION AND
THAT THAT MISSION NEEDS TO BE
FOCUSED AND SO THEY CAN CHOOSE
WHO THEY WANT TO BE PART OF
THEIR SCHOOL TO FOCUS THAT
MISSION. NOW, THIS FAMILY SEEMS
TO BE ON A MISSION AS WELL
BECAUSE THEY'RE KEEPING THIS
FIGHT GOING DESPITE LOSING AT
THE FIRST COUPLE FACES OF OF
THE COURT SYSTEM. WHY ARE THEY
CONTINUING THIS PROCESS?
WELL, THEY WANT THEIR DAY IN
COURT. THEY WERE DENIED A TRIAL
BECAUSE THE JUDGE FOUND THAT
THEY HAD FAILED TO STATE ANY
VALID LEGAL CLAIMS. ORIGINALLY.
AND AS YOU SAID, THE LOSS OF
THE COURT OF APPEALS OR NOT,
THE SUPREME COURT, YOU THIS
IS A WEALTHY FAMILY AND A VERY
WELL CONNECTED FAMILIES.
WELL, THEY BELIEVES THAT THEY
HAVE A CHANCE HERE AT THE
SUPREME COURT AND THEY'VE GIVEN
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS TO REPUBLICAN
POLITICIANS LAST FEW YEARS IN
NORTH CAROLINA AND THEY RECEIVE
SUPPORT IN COURT FROM A LOT OF
THOSE. WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WEIGHING IN
ON THEIR BEHALF. PLENTY OF
STATE LAWMAKERS WEIGHING IN ON
THEIR BEHALF. GROUPS LIKE MOMS
FOR LIBERTY, HER BACKING UP
SAYING, LOOK, SUPREME COURT,
THE FAMILY HAS BEEN WRONGED.
YOU NEED TO LET THEM HAVE THEIR
DAY IN COURT TO MAKE THEIR
CASE. THE BOY. THAT'S A THAT'S
A FINE LINE TO WALK FOR
REPUBLICANS BECAUSE MANY
REPUBLICANS IN ON ON ONCE ON IN
ONE BREATH WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW,
WE ARE AGAINST WOKE AND THESE
ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS BEING
IN SCHOOLS. WE'VE HEARD THAT
FOR A WHILE NOW. AND THEN THE
OTHER IS A COURT TO THE
REPUBLICAN BELIEF, WHICH IS TO
THAT THAT BUSINESSES DO HAVE A
RIGHT TO RUN THE BUSINESSES
THEY WANT TO RUN. WE HAVE SEEN
THOSE TYPES OF IDEAS RUN THE
WAY ALL THE WAY UP TO THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT. SO HOW ARE OUR
PEOPLE WALKING THAT LINE?
YEAH, IT IS A VERY THIN LINE
TO TRY TO WALK AND THEY ARE
TRYING TO WALK THAT TIGHT ROPE
WE SAW IN SOME OF THE BRIEFS.
>> FROM THE GOP POLITICIANS
HAVE BEEN WEIGHING IN SAYING,
LOOK, WE STILL DO BELIEVE THAT
SCHOOLS IN GENERAL PRIVATE
SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPEL
WHO THEY WANT TO THEY WANT,
EXCEPT WHO THEY WANT. BUT IN
THIS ONE SPECIFIC CASE, POLICE
ARE ON THE FAMILY'S BEHALF
BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THERE ARE
FACTS SPECIFIC TO THIS CASE
THAT DO DESERVE A CLOSER LOOK
NOW AT THE SCHOOL'S ARGUMENT,
OF COURSE, IS THAT YOU CAN'T
JUST DO THAT. THAT CREATES A
PRECEDENT THAT COULD THEN, YOU
KNOW, HARM NOT JUST SCHOOLS
AROUND THE STATE, BUT ALL SORTS
OF BUSINESSES WHO WANT TO CUT
TIES WITH CUSTOMERS WHO ARE