Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education must issue public statement of regret and adopt new free speech policy
By Catholics for Catholics
After being publicly accused of vandalism and being told she was under police investigation for painting a bible verse and a patriotic message in tribute to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a North Carolina high school student has reached a $95,000 settlement with her school district.
The settlement was reached this week between the family of Ardrey Kell High School student Gabby Stout and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, according to a story by Fox News. The school board agreed to take up a new free speech policy, send a public statement expressing regret, and pay $95,000 to Stout’s legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
Six months ago the Stouts filed a federal lawsuit contending unchecked violations of the student’s First Amendment rights.
Stout told Fox News Digital the settlement ultimately clears her name.
“This settlement finally reinforces that I did nothing wrong, and the school system has to admit that publicly,” she said. “After I got permission to paint a message sharing my faith in God, school officials accused me of vandalism in front of my whole school and my entire community. Then they put me through an unfair investigation. They never should have treated me this way, and by saying they regret that I had this experience, they are finally acknowledging that publicly.”
The quarrel began on September 12, 2025, two days after Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a TPUSA event on Utah Valley University’s campus. Stout chose to paint a patriotic message on the school’s spirit rock to honor the slain conservative activist’s outspoken faith. According to her complaint, Stout called the school’s front office and received permission to paint the tribute, as long as it avoided profanity or vulgarity.
The following day, she and two friends painted a heart, an American flag and the words, “Freedom 1776” and “Live Like Kirk—John 11:25” on the rock. Within hours, school officials painted over the rock, according to the complaint. On September 14, Ardrey Kell Principal Susan Nichols sent out a school-wide message saying that the spirit rock had been vandalized with a message that was not authorized, that the student code of conduct had been violated and that law enforcement had been contacted to launch a criminal investigation.
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