Court Revives Charlotte Latin Lawsuit After School Expelled Two Children
Charlotte Latin School expelled Doug and Nicole Turpin’s children after the parents challenged the private school’s direction on race, gender and classroom culture. The children were 11 and 13.
The parents say school leaders promised there would be no retaliation for raising concerns. Days later, on September 10, 2021, the children were told to clear out their lockers. Nicole Turpin told WSOC-TV that she watched both children sob as they left.
North Carolina’s Supreme Court has restored the family’s lawsuit. The court’s decision says the complaint properly states claims for breach of contract, fraud, unfair and deceptive trade practices and defamation.
That is a right to proceed, not a victory yet. At this stage, judges treat the complaint’s allegations as true and ask whether they amount to legal claims. Charlotte Latin says the ruling only addresses that preliminary pleading standard and does not decide the merits.
The school also says it tries to build an inclusive community rooted in kindness, civility and mutual respect and that enrollment decisions are never made lightly. Justice Allison Riggs went further in dissent, warning that the majority’s approach could invite litigation against private schools across the state.
Private schools need the freedom to define a mission and protect their community. Families also need enrollment agreements and direct promises to carry legal weight. The Turpins will now get a chance to prove what Charlotte Latin said, why it expelled their children and whether it defamed the parents afterward.
Federal Judge Blocks ATF Frame Rule for SAF Members and Defense Distributed Kits
A federal judge has permanently blocked two provisions of ATF’s frame-and-receiver rule from being enforced against Defense Distributed, the Second Amendment Foundation and current or future SAF members.
Judge Reed O’Connor found that the provisions violated the Second Amendment and were too vague to satisfy the Fifth Amendment’s demand for fair notice. His 29-page opinion says ATF’s tests left people guessing when metal or plastic became a regulated frame or receiver.
The injunction is narrower than a nationwide cancellation. It covers specified Defense Distributed products, including its M1911 80% frames and G80 build kit, unfinished receiver and grip module. The government won judgment on three separate claims under the Administrative Procedure Act.
ATF argued that new kits and 3D printing made it easier for prohibited people to build guns at home. The court agreed the agency had explained that policy change and that Congress authorized ATF to regulate at least some partially complete frames and weapon kits. It still found these provisions unconstitutional as applied to the plaintiffs.
The video below explains the same rule from an earlier stage of the litigation. The new case record supplies the current judgment and its limits.
Missouri Watch
John Combest’s Sunday roundup points to two Missouri ballot fights headed for an unusually tight final appeal.
The Missouri Supreme Court will hear arguments September 2 in Harris v. Hoskins and Von Glahn v. Hoskins. One case concerns a proposed constitutional amendment involving citizen-initiative safeguards. The other concerns a referendum on the Missouri First congressional map.
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected both efforts. A Cole County judge ruled for Hoskins and the state on August 20. The Missouri Courts calendar now puts oral arguments six days before the September 8 deadline for final ballot changes.
Petition backer Bob Johnson told the Jefferson City News Tribune that voters deserve the final say. Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters called the lower-court ruling a victory for election integrity. Neither proposal is confirmed for the ballot. The state Supreme Court will decide whether either gets there.
From the 4Liberty Network
Congress zeroed the federal tax on suppressors, but registration under the National Firearms Act remains. J.D. Tuccille joins Austin Petersen to explain why the tax change has weakened the NFA’s constitutional foundation and why gun owners should not declare the law dead while court fights continue.
Going Viral
A man dressed as Darth Vader walked into a San Diego public meeting and played the part of government surveillance’s biggest fan. San Diego’s Flock license-plate cameras supplied the target.