David W. Butler High School (commonly referred to as "Butler") was established in 1997 and is located in
Matthews, North Carolina
Matthews is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census.
History
In the early 19th century, the new settlement that would become Ma ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Butler's campus is . The mascot is the
bulldog
The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Mint Hill. - Compare to school district map.
History
2018 Shooting
At around 7:10 AM on October 29, 2018, an altercation between two students occurred in front of a main hallway known as 500. This led to one student being shot two to three times and triggering a lockdown that was lifted by 9:15 AM EDT. The victim, identified as Bobby McKeithen, was rushed to
Carolinas Medical Center
Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) is an 874-bed non-profit, Tertiary care, tertiary, research and Teaching hospital, academic medical center located in Charlotte, North Carolina, servicing the southern North Carolina, northern South Carolina, and t ...
by helicopter, later dying of his injuries. The suspect, identified as Jatwan Cuffie, is currently out on bail and charged with second degree murder. After he shot McKeithen he came into a 500 hall classroom when the lockdown was called and turned himself in to a campus security officer minutes later, handing the gun over to him. In the weeks following, trained crisis counselors were available on campus as well as several police officers and police dogs to help keep everything safe. Although the police presence has decreased, the school has now implemented a strict security system consisting of random bag checks and metal wanding.
The school, as of May 29, 2019, set up a memorial plaque in honor of McKeithen in the main entrance on the left side. On July 25, 2019, Cuffie pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 80 to 108 months in prison. There was another shooting in 2010 with a nail gun through the front office window. No one was charged and nothing was done about it.
Cheerleading Banner Controversy
On October 19, 2021, at the beginning of a football game against Charlotte Catholic High School, the David W. Butler High School Cheerleading team displayed a banner that read "Sniff, Sniff. You smell that? $Privilege$". The Butler football team then broke through the banner as they entered the field to begin the game. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools stated that they were investigating the incident and issued the following statement to WCNC Charlotte: "''CMS is aware of an insensitive banner displayed by the Butler HS cheerleading squad prior to the school’s football game versus Charlotte Catholic last Friday. Squad members and adults responsible for oversight will face consequences as a result of that banner display. School and district officials will offer no specific information about this disciplinary matter. Principal Golden and Learning Community Superintendent Tangela Williams have spoken with leaders from Charlotte Catholic to offer verbal apologies. Butler High School cheerleaders have sent an apology letter to counterparts at Charlotte Catholic. Soon there will be a meeting between the schools’ cheerleading squads to facilitate goodwill and understanding.''"
Athletics
Football
Butler's football team won three
North Carolina High School Athletic Association
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) is the governing organization of high school athletics in North Carolina, United States. The association maintains the official rule books and governs the officiating standards across ...
(NCHSAA) 4AA State Championships in a four year span, during the 2009, 2010, and 2012 seasons. In 2009, Butler won its first 4AA State Championship title at Carter-Finley Stadium defeating Jack Britt High School 48–17. In 2010, Butler repeated as North Carolina State 4AA Champions by defeating Rolesville High School 44–0, finishing the season on a 31-game winning streak. In 2012, Butler again defeated Jack Britt High School 56–28 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, winning the NC 4AA state title for the 3rd time in 4 seasons. Butler finished the 2012 season undefeated and ranked number 1 in North Carolina and number 3 in the final ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' 2012 National Super 25 Football Poll. In June 2019,
MaxPreps
MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...
reported that Butler was North Carolina's "Most Dominant High School Football Program of the last 10 years."
Softball
During the 2000s, the softball team won four 4A state championships, winning in 2001, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
Wrestling
Butler's wrestling team finished 4th in the NCHSAA 4A dual team tournament during the 2007–2008 season. During the 2008–2009 season, Butler wrestling finished as the 4A dual team state runner-ups.
Girls' basketball
Butler's girls' basketball team won the NCHSAA 4A state championship in 2009–10, and went 30–0 the following season before a premature loss to Mallard Creek in the Class 4A Western Regional semifinals, cutting their chance at a repeat short.
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
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Tyler Barnhardt
Tyler Davis Barnhardt (born January 13, 1993) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Matthew Roe in the American period drama television series ''Underground'' and Charlie St. George in the American teen drama streaming television se ...
, actor
*
Robert Blanton
Robert Jack Blanton (born September 7, 1989) is a former American football strong safety. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Early yea ...
CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
Cierra Burdick
Cassidie Cierra Burdick (born September 30, 1993) is an American basketball player who is currently playing for Valencia Basket Club.
High school
Burdick graduated from David W. Butler High School in 2011. She was one of five finalists for the ...
, former
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
Brooklyn Decker
Brooklyn Danielle Decker (born April 12, 1987) is an American model and actress, perhaps best known for her appearances in the ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue, including the cover of the 2010 issue. In addition to working for Victoria's ...
, model and actress
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Jahwan Edwards
Jahwan Edwards (born July 27, 1992) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ball State. He is Ball State's all-time leader in career rushing yards with 4,558 yards and rushing touchdown ...
,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
*
Riley Ferguson
Riley Logan Ferguson (born January 19, 1995) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at University of Memphis, Memphis.
Early years
Ferguson attended David W. Butler High School in Matthews, North Carolina. He had ...
, football
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
* Brandon Hucks, musician with
Of Good Nature
Of Good Nature (OGN) is an American band based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their music blends foundations of many different genres including alternative, funk, pop, soul, and reggae. History
Formation (2011)
Founding members Cam Brown (gu ...
*
Peter Kalambayi
Peter Mukeba Kalambayi (born June 26, 1995) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Stanford.
Professional career
Houston Texans
Kalambayi was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round, 2 ...
, NFL Linebacker
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Kendall Lamm
Kendall Lamm (born June 5, 1992) is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played at Appalachian State for four years and was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free age ...
, NFL
offensive tackle
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
*
Jordan Lloyd
Jordan Hailie Schroeder (; born November 21, 1986) is an American reality television participant, and the winner of the 11th season of '' Big Brother''. Lloyd has also participated in reality shows including ''The Amazing Race 16'', '' Big Brot ...
Jordan Rinaldi
Jordan Rinaldi (born September 25, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist. He was the welterweight Complete Devastation champion. Rinaldi competed in featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Background
Rinaldi was b ...
, mixed martial artist fighter who competed in the
featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Boxing
Professional boxing
History
A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...
division of the
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...