Charlotte School District Reverses Course on Charlie Kirk ‘Spirit Rock’ Memorial
Students at Ardrey Kell High School painted the campus “spirit rock” to honor TPUSA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk after his assassination, and school officials initially labeled the act vandalism and said law enforcement was contacted. The incident drew quick attention from parents and local outlets, with one parent saying the students had received permission before painting. The district has since walked back that initial description and is no longer calling the tribute vandalism.
A father who spoke with Queen City News said his daughter and two friends got approval before painting the message to honor Kirk and his family after what he described as Kirk’s “brutal murder.” He said the school then sent an email out to parents stating the rock had been painted with a message “not authorized or approved by the school or district.”
The father of one of the students who helped paint the rock, and wanted to remain anonymous, spoke with Queen City News, saying his daughter and two of her friends got approval before painting the message, which he said was meant to honor political commentator Charlie Kirk and his family following what he described as Kirk’s “brutal murder.”
“My daughter and her friends received permission to paint the school rock in front of Ardrey Kell HS,” the father said. “Then this email goes out to all the parents from the principal.”
He’s referring to a message sent by Principal Jamie Nichols, who told parents the school learned over the weekend that the rock had been painted with a message “not authorized or approved by the school or district.”
Officials initially said law enforcement had been alerted, which escalated the situation and raised alarms among families. Within days, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools issued a follow-up saying the earlier communication did not “fully reflect the details as reported by Principal Nichols.” The district clarified it did not contact law enforcement and retracted the vandalism label.
A south Charlotte high school completely reversed its statement last month that called a rock painted in honor of conservative media personality Charlie Kirk “vandalism.”
The weekend of Sept. 13, a group of students at Ardrey Kell High School painted a large rock in front of the school – known as the “spirit rock” – with a tribute to Kirk, who was assassinated at a Utah university Sept. 10. The school’s principal Susan Nichols later sent a message to families saying the tribute was “vandalism” and violated the CMS Code of Student Conduct. It also said law enforcement had been contacted and the school was cooperating with the investigation.
However, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools now says none of that is the case. The Charlotte Observer’s news partner WSOC-TV first reported on the reversal.
“On September 14, 2025, a communication was shared with families from Dr. Nichols. While this message was prepared by our Communications Division, it did not fully reflect the details as reported by Principal Nichols,” CMS said in a message to Ardrey Kell parents Saturday. A parent shared it with The Charlotte Observer.
The district’s corrected message made two main points: the painting was not vandalism and district policy was not violated, but the tribute “did cause a disruption within our school community.” As a result, Dr. Nichols announced new guidelines for Spirit Rock use. That mix of reversal and discipline has left many parents and observers frustrated.
Across social platforms, users noted a perceived double standard when the rock previously displayed Black Lives Matter messages without similar rebukes. Critics argue the Kirk memorial was treated more harshly because of the conservative figure it honored, not because of the act itself. That contrast sparked debate about fairness and consistency in school responses to student expression.
The double standard is glaring to many who watched the back-and-forth unfold. Students and families question why the same activity once tolerated or ignored became labeled disruptive when conservatives were involved. School officials say they aim to set clear rules now, but critics see selective enforcement.
The BLM painting, it could be argued, is far more political and divisive than one memorializing an assassinated man. That point keeps coming up in community conversations, and it sharpens the broader argument about how schools handle political expression. Parents who favor equal treatment say policy should be applied uniformly, not based on who is mentioned on the rock.
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