Overview
- The lawsuit, filed Dec. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, names the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education and is backed by Alliance Defending Freedom.
- Gabby Stout painted the Ardrey Kell High School spirit rock with “Freedom 1776” and “Live Like Kirk—John 11:25” after staff said she could proceed if she avoided vulgarity and political speech.
- Administrators quickly covered the painting, the principal’s email labeled it vandalism and said law enforcement was contacted, and Stout was pulled from class for questioning.
- An Oct. 11 internal clarification from the district said the incident was not vandalism, did not violate the code of conduct, and did not involve law enforcement, while the board declined public comment on the suit.
- The complaint challenges a revised Spirit Rock policy that forbids political or religious messages, alleges coerced statements and a phone search, cites prior BLM messages as evidence of selective enforcement, and seeks injunctions, record corrections, an apology, and damages.