A high school student’s attempt to honor a public figure has sparked a legal battle over free speech and school policy. The case was filed by the parents of G.S., a minor, in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina on December 8, 2025, against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. The lawsuit centers around allegations that the school district violated G.S.’s constitutional rights after she painted a tribute to Charlie Kirk on her school’s spirit rock.
G.S., a junior at Ardrey Kell High School and an admirer of Charlie Kirk, sought to express her Christian beliefs and commemorate Kirk’s life following his assassination. With permission from school officials, she painted the spirit rock with patriotic symbols and a religious message: “Live Like Kirk—John 11:25.” However, within hours, school officials painted over her tribute and accused her of vandalism, launching a criminal investigation without advising her of her rights or obtaining parental consent.
The complaint alleges that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education censored G.S.’s speech in violation of her First Amendment rights. It further accuses the district of retaliating against G.S. by imposing new policies that restrict student expression on the spirit rock, infringing upon her freedom of speech and due process rights under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. The plaintiffs argue that these actions were intended to chill free expression among students.
In response to the incident, the district implemented a Revised Spirit Rock Speech Code prohibiting personal, political, or religious messages on the rock. This policy grants officials broad discretion to determine what constitutes acceptable speech, which G.S.’s family contends is unconstitutional. They seek declaratory relief to affirm G.S.’s right to express herself freely on campus and an injunction preventing enforcement of the new policy.
The Stouts are represented by attorneys whose names are not disclosed in this document. The case is presided over by Judge Crystal L. Hill under Case ID 3:25-cv-00971.
Source: 325cv00971_G_S_v_Charlotte_Mecklenburg_Board_of_Education_Complaint_Western_District_North_Carolina.pdf
