A Charlotte family sues over claims that their son was falsely portrayed as a racist aggressor in an Ardrey Kell High School fight.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An Ardrey Kell High School fight that ignited allegations of a hate crime is now a civil lawsuit, as a Charlotte family seeks damages for what they claim was a false and damaging narrative that endangered their son and upended their lives.
The family of a male student filed a civil complaint in Mecklenburg County Superior Court on May 19, alleging that he was physically assaulted by a female classmate during a class. According to the lawsuit, the female student approached the male student while he was seated, berated him, and struck him in the face. The male student claims he defended himself by striking back once and pushing her away. Both students were suspended for ten days.
In the days following the incident, the female student’s family and community advocates publicly alleged that the altercation was a hate crime. In March statements, they claimed the male student used racial and religious slurs—including the N-word—and told the girl, who wears a hijab, to “go back to her country.” They also alleged she suffered multiple facial fractures requiring surgery.
Jibril Hough, a spokesperson for the family and a representative of the Islamic Center of Charlotte, previously described the incident as a brutal anti-Muslim attack. “He beat her with several punches to the head and the face,” Hough said. “This beating was so bad that I believe if he had hit her a few more times she may have died.”
RELATED: No hate crime charges to be filed for fight at Ardrey Kell High School, CMPD says
On April 2, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) announced that its investigation found no evidence to support hate crime charges.
“There is currently no evidence to support a criminal charge under N.C.G.S. 14-3 or 14-401.14,” CMPD said in a statement. The department also confirmed there is no active FBI investigation, contradicting earlier calls for federal involvement.
In the civil lawsuit filed this month, the male student’s family alleges that the public accusations were false and defamatory. The complaint names several individuals, including the female student, her relatives, and community members who allegedly made or amplified the claims. It asserts that these statements—shared through press conferences, social media, and news outlets—falsely portrayed the male student as a violent, racist aggressor and incited threats against him and his family.
According to the lawsuit, the family received over 25 threatening messages and phone calls, and their home was vandalized. The plaintiffs claim they were forced to implement a security plan and seek therapy due to the emotional toll. The complaint includes 14 causes of action, including assault, battery, libel, slander, and emotional distress, and seeks damages exceeding $25,000 per claim, plus punitive damages.
The lawsuit makes 14 claims and seeks as much as $350,000, but if any damages were to be awarded, the total financial compensation would likely be determined in a trial.
RELATED: NAACP calls for clarity, aims to ease tension amid Ardrey Kell HS fight investigation
The case has drawn attention from local civil rights leaders. On April 7, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP held a press conference urging calm and clarity. President Corine Mack expressed concern for the female student’s injuries but criticized the public narrative promoted by some advocates, saying it had deepened racial tensions between Black and Arab communities. “Every statement that has been made has caused a racial divide,” Mack said.
RELATED: CMS implements new threat communication protocols after February incidents
The incident also comes amid heightened scrutiny of CMS’s handling of school safety and communication. Just days before the March 7 altercation, CMS announced new district-wide protocols for reporting school threats. The changes followed a series of February incidents, including threatening emails sent to multiple campuses and a threatening message found on a bathroom wall at Ardrey Kell.
Under the new policy, which took effect March 10, all CMS schools are required to follow standardized procedures for reporting threats internally and externally. “Our schools are safe,” said CMS Chief Operations Officer Tim Ivey, citing a 69% reduction in firearm possessions and a 7.7% drop in total criminal acts during the 2023–24 school year. Superintendent Crystal Hill emphasized that the district will not allow “the actions of a few to interrupt the accomplishments of our students and staff.”
As the legal process unfolds, the case continues to raise complex questions about school safety, public discourse, and the responsibilities of institutions and individuals in the wake of student conflicts. A jury trial has been requested. No court date has been set.
RELATED: Ardrey Kell High School principal suspended with pay
News of the lawsuit comes one day after WCNC Charlotte confirmed the principal of Ardrey Kell High School, Jamie Brooks, was suspended with pay. It is still not known why the district placed Brooks on leave. She is not named in the lawsuit.
