Charlie Kirk tribute on Ardrey Kell spirit rock sparks investigation

The message was painted on the rock over the weekend following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed while speaking at a university in Utah last week.

Ardrey Kell High School said that it was “unauthorized.”

That rock looked different after the Charlie Kirk tribute. Sitting at the entrance of the school, the rock has been painted over with the words “Be Kind” on one side and “You are enough” on the other.

CMS sent the following about the guidelines on painting the rock:

• Only current students, their families/guardians, school clubs/teams, and staff may paint the rock after obtaining permission from the principal.
• Accessing school property outside of regular hours is not permitted without prior approval from the school administration.
• Spirit rocks are intended solely to support and promote school-related initiatives. This includes celebrating academic milestones, cheering on school teams, promoting school clubs, and spreading messages of encouragement and congratulations.
• Spirit rocks are not to be used for personal, political, or religious messages.
• All messages should reflect positive school spirit and uphold the inclusive values of our school community.

Two 2024 graduates of Ardrey Kell told Channel 9 that people should not be allowed to post political messages on the rock.

Ian Rushmann said he graduated from Ardrey Kell last year and thinks the controversy is overblown.

“It’s controversial because there are two sides, saying, ‘I like him. I don’t like him,’” Rushmann said.

Ardrey Kell’s rock was the subject of political controversy in 2020 when someone painted white X’s over a Black Lives Matter display.

The previous year, a basketball player was suspended for using a racial slur to reference players at West Charlotte High School.

Message from principal

In a message to parents on Sunday, principal Susan Nichols wrote, “We are aware that the spirit rock in front of our school was painted this weekend with a message that was not authorized or sponsored by the school or the district.”

The message went on to say:

“Acts like these are considered vandalism to school property and are in violation of the CMS Code of Student Conduct.

If students were responsible for the vandalism, they may be disciplined. Law enforcement has been contacted."

Nichols is encouraging students and families to use the district’s ‘Say Something’ app to anonymously report any information.

Suspect formally charged

The Utah County attorney held a news conference Tuesday to announce official charges against Kirk’s accused killer, Tyler Robinson.

He faces seven counts, including aggravated murder.

Kirk died from a single gunshot while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University last week.

Durham police chief faces backlash

The police chief in Durham is facing backlash for a post she made after Kirk’s death.

Chief Patrice Andrews said in a now-deleted post, in part, “This man, who disguised himself as a Christian, shamed Black women like me, believed that gun violence was necessary to preserve the 2nd amendment, and created a culture of divisiveness through hate speech.”

She posted that on her personal Facebook page and Durham’s mayor said he’s talked to her about it.

“It was her expressing her personal views within her own personal network; however, she’s the chief of police, and it affects the residents of Durham if they are interpreting it as such,” Mayor Leonardo Williams said.

The city of Durham is reviewing the post to see if more action is needed.

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