Tag: north carolina

N.C.: Father sues over schools’ alleged refusal to disclose if members of opposite sex use same facilities as his children

A North Carolina father is suing the Cabarrus County school board over its refusal to disclose if members of the opposite biological sex are able to use his children’s bathrooms or locker rooms at their respective schools.

On Friday, Brandon Matthews filed a suit against the county’s education board, the superintendent of the county schools, as well as the principals of his children’s schools.

“Because of his sincerely held religious beliefs and his convictions about what is best for his children’s safety and well-being, Mr. Matthews seeks to ensure that his children are not required or expected to undress or use the restroom in the presence of members of the opposite sex,” read the court document, which Fox News provided.

Matthews is the father of a fourth-grade daughter, who attends Mount Pleasant Elementary School, and a son, who is a high school senior at Mount Pleasant High School. In May, he asked the principals of both schools to inform him if a member of the opposite sex was permitted to use the same facilities as his children.

“But both principals refused to answer his questions, instead telling Mr. Matthews that he could contact them if and when one of his children found himself or herself in an uncomfortable situation,” the court filing read. “But the Constitution does not require Mr. Matthews to wait.”

The suit pulls on the 2025 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which the court found that schools must inform parents and give them an opportunity to excuse their children from instruction involving “LGBTQ+-inclusive” storybooks when it goes against their religious beliefs.

“If the Constitution requires notice and an opportunity to opt out before exposing children to certain storybooks, it necessarily protects a parent’s right to receive notice and an opportunity to protect his children before they are expected or required to undress or use the restroom in the presence of members of the opposite sex,” the suit read.

The document also asserted that Matthews is not seeking the identification of any student, but rather he wishes to know whether his children may be expected to share such facilities with a member of the opposite sex.

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Southern elementary school erupts as parents bitterly divided over new transgender teacher… with furious families clashing over claims children are ‘too young’ for a ‘biological male in a dress’

A North Carolina elementary school is facing backlash after parents discovered a transgender music teacher was educating students while wearing a dress, causing a bitter divide. 

Middle Creek Elementary School in Apex, near Raleigh, went back to school on July 30, where students were met with a new music teacher, who is a ‘transgender biological male, who dresses as a woman,’ State Representative Erin Paré said in a statement. 

At a school board meeting on Tuesday, many parents said they were unaware of the new hire, with many finding out via social media, after popular creators, such as Libs of TikTok, posted about the teacher. 

The news bitterly divided parents over whether or not the educator should be allowed to wear clothing items, such as dresses and skirts, during school hours. 

Paré is also calling for a mandatory dress code for public school teachers, which would include ‘requiring gender-appropriate professional attire,’ she said. 

However, the Wake County School Board said implementing a new dress code would be unconstitutional and discriminatory. 

‘Enforcing gender-differentiated clothing requirements based on traditional gender roles constitutes impermissible sex stereotyping under the Constitution,’ Board Member Chris Heagarty told parents. 

‘So can we all come together, respect the law, and work on how we can all come together and fund our kids’ education?’ 

Heagarty said the district is ‘following the guidance of the United States Constitution and our US courts system,’ which dictated that school dress codes ‘must be gender neutral and non-discriminatory.’ 

Many parents and board members spoke in support of the teacher, including board member Jennifer Job, who accused parents of using the educator to propel their political agenda. 

‘People online and in this room are willing to sacrifice this person’s love for their job for their culture war,’ she said at the meeting. 

Many parents and community members said the addition of a transgender teacher promoted diversity, and attacking the educator was only showing children to discriminate based on appearance and identity.  

‘We have a responsibility as a county to serve students of all diverse backgrounds and their families,’ Anna Crollman, who formerly taught in the district, said at the meeting, according to The Observer. 

However, some parents have formed a coalition called Middle Creek Parental Rights, which is led by Aaron Driver and his wife. 

The group is demanding the school release the hiring records for the transgender teacher and said parents should not have found out about the educator via social media. 

He said young students have come home with ‘big questions’ about gender identity. 

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North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards WITHDRAWS from Reelection Campaign After House Ethics Committee Recommends Censure Over Inappropriate Conduct with Female Staffers

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) announced early Wednesday that he is abandoning his reelection campaign in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District following a bombshell House Ethics Committee investigation.

“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” Edwards wrote in a brief statement. “I will complete my current term.”

Edwards offered no further explanation in the announcement.

The stunning withdrawal came just two days after the bipartisan House Ethics Committee released a report recommending that the full House censure Edwards over what investigators described as “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two young female staffers.

According to the committee’s official report, investigators conducted 16 witness interviews and reviewed nearly 1,500 pages of evidence.

According to the report, Edwards provided the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts including jewelry totaling over $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, flowers, a KitchenAid mixer, a robotic vacuum, vacations, tickets to performances, and one-on-one dinners.

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Democrat Roy Cooper Lied About Why He Released 4,200 Criminals from Prison

Democrat Senate candidate and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is shifting blame over the reason he released 4,200 convicted criminals from prison during the COVID pandemic. 

In 2021, Cooper and far-left groups announced a settlement agreement releasing a total of 3,500 convicted criminals from state prison. When Cooper’s settlement was announced, prison officials said only convicts with sentences ending in 2021 would be released. That declaration misled a state legislative committee, forcing officials to correct them at the time, indicating violent offenders would be released. 

The list of specific offenders was shielded at the time and only released when it was confirmed that DeCarlos Brown, the man accused of murdering Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail system, was on the list.

Cooper has offered numerous excuses for releasing violent criminals from prison. 

When Brown’s history became public, the campaign said it was a “lie,” pointing to Cooper’s “career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough on crime laws and stricter pretrial release bail policy as governor and pointed to Cooper’s 40-year tenure in public office.”

He then tried to pin the releases on federal prison releases in the Trump administration. Once that explanation fell apart, Cooper sought to blame prison officials, saying it was their determination of who was released. 

Yet Cooper was the only governor in the country who signed a legally-binding agreement requiring their state to release prisoners. 

What made North Carolina different was Cooper being a willing participant in the releases. States such as Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey saw judges order inmate releases, but many of those rulings were later blocked or overturned on appeal by those states’ Democrat governors. Cooper voluntarily agreed. 

Among those released from state prisons were drug dealers, rapists, murderers, and child predators.

In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis resisted similar demands and highlighted that Cooper could have pursued a different legal path instead of settling in the case. While the ACLU ultimately prevailed with a consent decree with the state Department of Corrections, Polis’s opposition and continued litigation avoided a court-mandated quota system.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker never signed a contract guaranteeing or commanding a large-scale mass release of prisoners, keeping the control over population figures within executive discretion. 

In New Jersey, the state’s legislature passed measures allowing mass releases where Cooper’s team admitted to misleading oversight from the North Carolina General Assembly. 

Nearly half of the criminals Cooper released have gone on to reoffend. These violent offenders were responsible for the murder of 25 North Carolinians and over 600 violent felonies. 

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History-Making Miss North Carolina USA Stripped of Title After Alleged Racially Insensitive Posts Resurface

A Miss North Carolina USA has lost her title after alleged racist posts from one of her supposed old accounts resurfaced.

Last month, 27-year-old Brittany Boltinhouse of Beulaville won the title of Miss North Carolina USA in Spartanburg, S.C. In the process, she made history as the first person of Honduran descent to win the title.

But now Myla Hadley, who finished as runner-up to Boltinhouse, will take her crown instead.

This news comes as posts allegedly from Boltinhouse resurfaced  from 2017 to 2019.

The NC Beat was the first outlet to obtain these posts, which they say came from a Sosa the Stallion X account owned by Boltinhouse.

In another post, in December 2019, Boltinhouse allegedly bragged about her ‘toxicity.’


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North Carolina Police Officer Arrested For Alleged Illegal Use Of Flock Cameras

A North Carolina officer was arrested by state authorities July 29 after allegedly accessing license plate registration information from Flock Safety cameras and other technology, authorities announced.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Seth Elliot, 25, is facing a misdemeanor charge of illegally accessing a government computer, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Elliot, who started working at the department in 2024, allegedly accessed the Flock system and CJ Leads, a criminal justice database used by law enforcement in North Carolina, one time for non-law enforcement purposes, according to the police department.

The officer was placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.

A previous unrelated investigation had initially found the evidence that on June 16, Elliot had allegedly improperly accessed the license plate reader systems.

He was then placed on administrative assignment on June 22, and his equipment and access to systems with criminal intelligence information was revoked pending the outcome of the internal investigation.

Police Chief Estella Patterson said the department doesn’t operate any of the Flock cameras or devices but has an agreement with the company to allow officers access to them.

Misuse of the access is not tolerated, Patterson said.

“The public expects and deserves the highest level of integrity from every officer who wears the CMPD badge,” Patterson said in a statement. “Misusing law enforcement technology or accessing confidential information for non-law enforcement purposes is a betrayal of the public’s trust and a violation of everything this profession stands for.”

The Epoch Times was not able to reach Elliott for comment, and it’s unclear if he has an attorney.

The North Carolina case is the latest law enforcement-related allegation of Flock camera misuse.

Earlier this month, Sgt. Kabiru Salawu of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office was arrested after an internal investigation found he allegedly misused the agency’s Flock system. Salawu was fired by the department and charged with a felony violation of oath of office and misdemeanor misuse of license plate data, according to a sheriff’s office statement.

Investigations in Georgia and several other states have also led to arrests over Flock camera access.

People have also destroyed the cameras in some cities, with some incidents occurring this week.

In Upstate New York, police arrested a 25-year-old man July 29 after he allegedly used a saw to cut down a Flock camera.

In Central California, a 40-year-old Pismo Beach man was arrested July 28 for allegedly intentionally tearing down and running over at least three Flock license plate readers, causing thousands of dollars in damage, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Flock Safety, based in Georgia, estimates more than 6,000 communities in 49 states have partnered with the company to install the surveillance systems.

The cameras are powered by artificial intelligence and capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, recording the location, date, and time. The cameras also capture the car’s make, model, color, and other features, such as dents and bumper stickers, to use as data points, according to DeFlock, a community-driven, open-source project that maps the license plate readers.

DeFlock estimates Flock has installed nearly 123,400 cameras throughout the United States.

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Three-Time Deported Illegal Alien Kills 6-Year-Old American Girl After Running a Stop Sign At High Speed — Mother and 4-Year-Old Brother Seriously Injured

A 33-year-old illegal alien who has already been deported from the United States three times is behind bars after he ran a stop sign at high speed and killed 6-year-old Calli Toller in a violent crash.

According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers and court documents, Jaime Santiago Corona of Ayden was driving a 2023 Dodge Ram pickup truck south on Warren Jones Road on Friday, July 3, when he blew through the stop sign at the intersection with County Home Road.

His truck slammed into a westbound SUV driven by 35-year-old Kelli Toller, who had her two young children inside, WNCT reported.

Little Calli Toller was killed at the scene. Her mother and 4-year-old brother were both seriously injured and rushed to ECU Health Medical Center.

Santiago, who lives in Ayden, was arrested later that Friday afternoon by Highway Patrol troopers. He faces charges including misdemeanor death by vehicle, failure to stop at a stop sign, careless and reckless driving, and driving while license revoked. Court records note he has no valid operator’s license.

Here’s the part that should make every American furious: Santiago is a known flight risk who has already been deported three separate times. Documents state it could not even be determined if he is a U.S. citizen. A magistrate ordered him held in the Pitt County Detention Center on a $100,000+ secured bond precisely because of his immigration history and flight risk.

This is the deadly result of years of catch-and-release, failed removals, and a system that treated deportation orders like suggestions.

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Police Stop North Carolina Church Massacre Arresting Man Who Showed Up with Flamethrowers, Crossbows, More Than 500 Rounds of Ammo

Police arrested a man on Sunday who was apparently attempting to execute a mass casualty terrorist attack at a church in North Carolina.  

He faces charges of possession of a weapon of mass destruction and impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

The suspect, 44-year-old William S. Milliken III, was found by police in the parking lot of the Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in High Point, North Carolina, on Sunday morning, after a 911 caller reported an armed man wearing camouflage clothing.

According to authorities, the man was found with a “launcher resembling a handgun, flame throwers, and more than 500 rounds of ammunition.”

“He was wearing a plate carrier, which is a type of body armor. Milliken’s charges include possession of weapon of mass destruction, impersonation of law enforcement officer, and possession of control substance schedule II,” High Point police said in a news release.

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North Carolina Student Wins Massive Legal Settlement After School Accused Her of Vandalism Over Pro-Charlie Kirk Message Painted on Rock

A North Carolina high school student was accused of vandalism and investigated after she painted a pro-Charlie Kirk message on a rock on the school’s campus that has historically been used by students in this way.

Now the student is sitting on top of gigantic pile of money, having won a legal settlement over the way she was targeted for this.

There was absolutely nothing offensive in the messages she painted on the rock. The school only acted because the message was about Charlie Kirk. The student’s First Amendment rights were violated.

FOX News reports:

North Carolina student wins $95K after school accused her of vandalizing spirit rock with Charlie Kirk tribute

A North Carolina high school student has reached a $95,000 settlement with her school district after she was publicly accused of vandalism and told she was under police investigation. The controversy revolved around painting a campus “spirit rock” with a Bible verse and patriotic message in tribute to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Fox News Digital has learned that a settlement was reached this week between the family of Ardrey Kell High School student Gabby Stout and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. Under the terms of the agreement, the school board will adopt a new free speech policy, issue a public statement expressing regret, and pay $95,000 to Stout’s legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

The settlement comes six months after the Stouts filed a federal lawsuit alleging rampant violations of the student’s First Amendment rights.

Stout told Fox News Digital the settlement ultimately clears her name.

“This settlement finally reinforces that I did nothing wrong, and the school system has to admit that publicly,” she said. “After I got permission to paint a message sharing my faith in God, school officials accused me of vandalism in front of my whole school and my entire community. Then they put me through an unfair investigation. They never should have treated me this way, and by saying they regret that I had this experience, they are finally acknowledging that publicly.”

This was an expensive lesson for the school.

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Chaotic car chase ends with ICE nabbing alleged foreign terrorist leader accused of holding wife captive

 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Brazilian illegal immigrant, who authorities say previously served as the commander of two designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, after allegedly attempting to flee a North Carolina traffic stop while preparing to escape to Mexico.

Felipe Linares de Oliveira Dell Aquilla, known as “Don,” was arrested June 5 in Mooresville, North Carolina, after allegedly leading law enforcement on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash before his arrest, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release obtained by Fox News Digital.

Federal authorities say Dell Aquilla was wanted in Brazil on charges of criminal association and extortion and had been preparing to leave the United States for Mexico.

Dell Aquilla previously served as a commander within the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), two Brazil-based criminal organizations that were recently designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration, according to DHS.

“This arrest demonstrates the unwavering commitment of HSI to protect our communities from dangerous international criminals,” Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of HSI in North and South Carolina, said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.

“By removing a known leader of violent foreign terrorist organizations — wanted for serious crimes including criminal association and extortion — we have prevented further harm to innocent people here and abroad,” Zito said.

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