Last month, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said it had involved law enforcement in an investigation after somebody painted messages in support of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the Ardrey Kell High School spirit rock.
At the time, school officials called it vandalism. Now, the district is walking back the claim, saying in a statement to families this past weekend that the rock painting was not an act of vandalism.
The painting included the message “Live Like Kirk” in the wake of Kirk’s murder. At the time, Ardrey Kell Principal Susan Nichols sent a message to families saying the painting was unauthorized and considered vandalism.
The message said “law enforcement has been contacted” and noted the school was cooperating with the investigation.
After media reports about the incident, CMS sent a clarification noting that there was no criminal investigation and that school officials were managing the situation.
The latest communication, sent to families over this last weekend, nearly a month after the incident, clarified that the rock painting was not an act of vandalism and did not violate the student code of conduct. The district also said law enforcement was not contacted to investigate.
CMS said the initial Sept. 14 statement from Nichols was prepared by the CMS communications division, but “did not fully reflect the details as reported by Principal Nichols.”
CMS said the school has updated guidelines for the spirit rock, noting it may only be used to promote school-related initiatives — celebrating milestones, cheering for school teams, promoting school clubs, or messages of encouragement or congratulations.
The spirit rock outside Ardrey Kell has long served as a sounding board for students and the school community, often being repainted with messages and designs to celebrate school spirit.
It’s not the first time the spirit rock has made headlines over a politically contentious issue. In 2020, students decorated the rock to honor the Black Lives Matter movement, but it was later defaced.
