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Ezikpe, et al. v. Central Piedmont Community College

From November 2024 to June 2025
Central Piedmont Community College (Public college or university)
Charlotte, NC

Identity of Speakers

  • Mina Ezikpe
    Unaffiliated
    Other

    Plaintiff and Attorney at Mecklenburg County Public Defender's Office

  • Eboni Exceus
    Student
    Other

    Visiting Student at CPCC

  • Xavier Torres de Janon
    Unaffiliated
    Other

    Plaintiff and Director of Mass Defense at the National Lawyers Guild

  • Julianne Liebenguth
    Unaffiliated
    Other

    Plaintiff and Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Elon University

  • William Donovan Stanley
    Unaffiliated
    Other

    Plaintiff and Concerned Citizen

Resources

Additional Information

  • Incident Nature:
    University-sponsored lecture/address/panel
    Organized outside group action
    Other
  • Incident Political Orientation:
    Not Clear
  • Incident Responses:
    Student sanctioned
    Rally or Protests
    Other Law Enforcement
    Litigation
  • Incident Status:
    In litigation State Court
  • Did not involve Speech Codes

Summary

In February 2025, community members attempted to attend a Central Piedmont Community College Board of Trustees meeting to express concerns about a proposed 23-acre public safety training facility near the school’s Levine Campus in Matthews, NC. Several attendees said they were required to show identification to enter, were not provided an agenda, and were later removed when the meeting moved into closed session. Two people, a CPCC student and a Mecklenburg County public defender, were later banned from campus. Advocates said the bans were retaliatory, targeting those who had questioned the project’s implications for nearby communities.

In April 2025, the student, the attorney, and another resident filed a lawsuit against the college, represented by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ). The suit alleged violations of North Carolina’s Open Meetings Law, Public Records Law, and the First Amendment. It claimed the college had unlawfully limited public access to a government meeting and retaliated against individuals who tried to speak out. CPCC denied the allegations, saying the meeting was properly closed under state law, no one was denied access, and minutes were shared afterward. The college moved the case to federal court, citing the inclusion of constitutional claims.

In June 2025, the parties reached a settlement. CPCC agreed to lift the campus bans on the two individuals, provided they complied with the school’s free speech policy. The college also committed to following state transparency laws and to respond in good faith to outstanding public records requests related to the proposed training facility. On June 24, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.

Both sides described the outcome as a success. CPCC emphasized that the settlement included no admission of wrongdoing, while the plaintiffs and their attorneys called it a step toward greater transparency and accountability in how public institutions engage with the communities they serve.