Parent appeals suspension and cheer-team removal for Nash Central freshman, requests board review

A Nash Central High School parent asked the Nash County Board of Education to review disciplinary actions that led to a 10-day suspension and removal from the cheerleading squad for her freshman daughter.

Ayesha Lynch told the board she witnessed video of an incident in which an 11th-grade student attacked her daughter, Jayla Britt, and she said three adults—including an assistant principal—told her that Jayla did not retaliate. Lynch said the assistant principal later suspended Jayla for use of inappropriate language and that the principal declined to overturn the suspension after a meeting, citing the principal’s personal judgment.

Lynch said she requested a meeting with teachers and administration so her daughter could demonstrate she did not fight back and that at first she was told a teacher witness was unavailable due to illness; later, Lynch said, a teacher statement appeared in the record. Lynch said the conflicting accounts and the school’s decision deprived her daughter of cheerleading participation and the opportunity to try out the following year.

“I cannot undo the suspension or reclaim the days that she's lost, but I must express how deeply unfair this situation is,” Lynch said. She asked the board to review the matter and ensure disciplinary actions are justified by facts.

What the board recorded

The item was presented during the public input period. The transcript records Lynch’s request for a board review; the board did not take action on the floor during the meeting. No district-level appeal outcome or timeline was recorded in the public portion of the meeting transcript.