Student Sues High School Over Tribute Incident

Officials at a high school in North Carolina are facing criticism for allegedly violating students’ constitutional rights due to a tribute to Charlie Kirk being labeled as vandalism.

Gabby Stout shared with Fox News Digital that she contacted her school back in September, wanting to paint a patriotic tribute on the school’s “Spirit Rock.” The junior was told by Ardrey Kell High School officials that she could proceed as long as the painting included no political messages or inappropriate content.

“I felt pretty anxious because I really didn’t know what I had done wrong or if I could get in trouble,” she recounted.

Stout and a couple of friends painted a heart-shaped design on the rock, alongside the phrases “Freedom 1776” and “Live Like Kirk – John 11:25.”

The response from the school was swift—they painted over the rock and accused Stout of damaging it, even involving law enforcement, which is still looking into the matter.

“Students may face disciplinary action if they’re responsible for vandalism,” stated the principal in a press release.

Stout expressed her disbelief regarding the school’s reaction. “I was utterly stunned,” she mentioned. “It was frightening, as I had no clue that sharing my beliefs could lead to trouble.”

Later, the school admitted it wasn’t vandalism, clarified that Stout hadn’t been punished, and disbanded the law enforcement inquiry.

However, Stout claims that the ordeal has led to significant emotional distress, stating she has received threatening messages, including one that said, “die like Kirk.”

The legal action, taken by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of her parents, accuses the school of infringing upon her constitutional rights, noting that other political expressions had previously been accepted, such as those supporting the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

“So it seems they’re encouraging leftist student expressions while retaliating against Gabby for expressing conservative or Christian sentiments regarding Spirit Rock,” claimed Travis Barham, a senior advisor at ADF.

The lawsuit alleges that Stout was targeted due to her beliefs. She reflected, “I think it’s really unfair what happened to me because of my religious and conservative views. No other groups have faced this kind of scrutiny.” She added, “I was just trying to share my thoughts and beliefs.”

The school board did not provide comments regarding the ongoing lawsuit.