A North Carolina school district will pay $95,000 for censoring a student’s Bible-based tribute to Charlie Kirk, violating her constitutional rights.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) brought a lawsuit against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education after it suppressed the speech of an unnamed student (identified as G.S. in the lawsuit).
The student, a junior at Ardrey Kell High School, is a Christian who seeks to share her faith with others. After Charlie Kirk’s assassination on September 10, 2025, the student received permission to paint a message on her school’s “spirit rock” in support of Kirk’s message.
She had seen many other messages on the rock – from text supporting NFL teams to Black Lives Matter. The student, along with her parents and two friends, painted the rock with the words “Freedom 1776” and “Live Like Kirk – John 11:25.”
Within hours, school officials abruptly changed their minds and painted over the messages. School officials then publicly accused G.S. of “vandalism” – even though they had approved the student’s message – and announced they had contacted law enforcement and were cooperating with the criminal investigation. That’s right, school officials asked police to investigate a “crime” they had approved!
Conduct like this is shocking, but perhaps unsurprising, especially since a former member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education used Kirk’s assassination as an attempt to besmirch his character.
At the time, board member Melissa Easley posted publicly on social media: “Do not expect me to feel sorry, pitty [sic] or mournful for the man that has gone around saying I or my spouse are abominations.”
School officials also issued a new speech code for the spirit rock, restricting student messages that were “political” or “religious” in nature.
After the school board’s anti-free speech, public shaming campaign was over, attorneys with ADF filed a lawsuit on behalf of the student and her parents, demanding the restoration of her constitutional rights.
“What happened to this student is outrageous. School officials should never censor, punish, or shame a student simply for sharing her views,” said ADF Senior Counsel Travis Barham.
“Charlie Kirk boldly defended open and respectful discourse on school grounds literally until his last breath, and this courage inspired many across the country, including our client, whom Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials treated so abominably.”
To settle the lawsuit, the school board has agreed to adopt a new student speech policy rescinding its previous guidance, exonerate the student and pay $95,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees.
Barham added,
Perhaps one day far-left school districts will learn their lesson: Students don’t shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.
For now, it’s up to courageous and brave students like G.S. to unapologetically share their faith, speak the truth and be ready to seek help when their First Amendment rights are violated.
The case is G.S. v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.
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