CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – A Charlotte high school student sued her school board Monday, alleging officials falsely launched a criminal investigation against her after she painted a tribute to Charlie Kirk on school property with prior permission.
The student, identified as G.S., said she received approval from Ardrey Kell High School staff to decorate the school spirit rock with a heart, the U.S. flag, and the messages “Freedom 1776” and “Live Like Kirk—John 11:25,” alongside a vase of flowers. Within hours of completing the painting, school officials covered it up, and the next day, they contacted law enforcement, claiming she had vandalized the rock. G.S. says the criminal investigation was closed within three days, but the school falsely maintains it never investigated her.
According to the lawsuit filed through her parents, Steven and Kristen Stout, the school violated G.S.’s rights by publicly accusing her of a crime, forcing her to provide evidence, restricting her speech, and failing to publicly exonerate her. G.S. maintains she intended the tribute as a display of admiration for Kirk’s faith and patriotism, not as a political statement.
The suit details that the principal pulled G.S. from class, required her to write a statement about the painting, and had an assistant principal review her phone logs without advising her of her constitutional rights. Despite the school later sending a statement to parents saying the act was not vandalism or a student conduct violation, G.S. claims the district’s previous actions have left her stigmatized among peers.
The lawsuit asserts violations of the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments and requests a court order to eliminate the new painting policy, remove any negative records related to the incident, and issue a formal apology. School officials did not respond to requests for comment.
