Update, May 15, 2026: A press release just dropped: CPCC student activist Josie is now facing a formal disciplinary hearing on May 18 for emailing classmates about the student protest covered in this article. CPCC alleges the emails violated its electronic communication policy. Supporters are encouraged to attend her hearing at the Parr Center (Huddle Room F) on CPCC's Central Campus at noon on Monday.

The School Said No

On Sunday, May 3, organizer Heather Morrow submitted a request to use CPCC's designated free speech zone. Eight students. Three hours. Flyers. The event: a noon action on May 6 at Central Campus on Elizabeth Avenue to talk about the school's $118 million public safety training facility — known to opponents as Cop City — and its ties to federal immigration enforcement.

CPCC denied it the next day. The request came in 48 hours before the event. The school requires 72.

Morrow appealed Monday evening. She noted that CPCC had received the request that same day, and the event wasn't until Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, Kristin Robbins, an administrative assistant in CPCC's Communications, Advancement and External Engagement office, replied. The policy was the policy. They would have needed the request on Friday.

So students walked out and took the sidewalk instead. The action lasted about 90 minutes.

Students gathered on the sidewalk outside CPCC Central Campus during the walkout action
Students gathered on the public sidewalk outside CPCC's Central Campus on May 6. Police officers are visible watching from across the street.

What Workforce Development Actually Looks Like

CPCC President Kandi Deitemeyer and the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners have described Community Lifeline — the school's official name for the project — as workforce development for young people in the community. It is, they say, an investment in Charlotte's future.

So Students Against Cop City CLT asked the young people what they were actually there for.

A psychology student held up a whiteboard: "I'm going to CPCC to further my pursuit to help people realize the power to do right. That is the reason we don't need Cop City. We have the power to protect ourselves."

A construction management student, signing his name A.G., wrote: "I believe in building a better world, not enforcing it."

A therapist-in-training said she was at CPCC to learn how to make mental health care accessible to all. A human services student said she wanted to help people get sober. A philosophy professor and writer said she came to acquire the tools to envision a better world.

None of them said they wanted to be a cop.

According to organizers, the project was new information to most students who stopped to engage. CPCC has had ample time to tell them. It has not.

Organizers distribute flyers and talk with students on the sidewalk outside CPCC
Organizers with Students Against Cop City CLT hand out flyers and engage students on Elizabeth Avenue. A "Stop Cop City" sign is visible in the background.

What the Emails Show

Emails obtained by The Hive Wire through a public records request show that representatives from ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI were among those invited to a three-day planning session during the early design phase of Community Lifeline. What was discussed at that session, what was decided, and what role federal immigration enforcement agencies are expected to play in the finished facility — CPCC hasn't said.

Email showing recipients including ICE and border patrol officials invited to CPCC planning session
A calendar invitation obtained through public records shows ICE, CBP, the FBI, and multiple law enforcement agencies were invited to a three-day planning workshop for the Community Lifeline facility in May 2024.
Email body detailing the planning workshop agenda for CPCC's public safety training facility
The planning session agenda lists "Outside Agencies, Forensics, Drones, Public Safety Admin" as attendees on Day Two — the same day ICE and federal immigration officials were scheduled to participate.

When asked directly, the school points to workforce development. When pressed on ICE, it calls the concerns misinformation — without explaining how.

It is, apparently, easier to block a flyer distribution than to answer a question.

A Pattern, Not an Incident

This is not the first time CPCC has decided the public doesn't need to know what it's doing.

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice filed a federal lawsuit against the school earlier last year alleging it violated North Carolina's Open Meetings law by conducting key discussions about Community Lifeline behind closed doors. One plaintiff said she was banned from campus and that CPCC contacted her employer after she attended a public meeting to ask questions.

A group of police officers gathered near the CPCC parking structure during the student action
Multiple CPCC and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers gathered near the campus parking deck while students distributed flyers on the public sidewalk across the street.

Blocking eight students from distributing flyers on their own campus fits the same pattern. No students have been reported disciplined for Wednesday's action — though given the school's track record, organizers may want to keep their inboxes open.

"COP City will never be built." — Heather Morrow, Students Against Cop City CLT

What's Next

The CPCC Board of Trustees meets May 13 — the same board that has been conducting its business in a manner a federal court found worth examining.

A community People's Budget teach-in is planned for May 17, where residents can learn more about the project and help shape what Charlotte's budget could actually look like. The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners takes up the capital budget on May 21. Community Lifeline is on that list.

The students will be watching. Presumably from the sidewalk.

Press Release: Student Faces Discipline for Sharing Cop City Information

Press release: Student Activist Faces Discipline at CPCC for Sharing Information About Cop City Project
Press release issued May 15, 2026 by Students Against Cop City CLT. Student Josie faces a disciplinary hearing May 18 at the Parr Center, CPCC Central Campus, 12:00 p.m.