Parents oppose renaming Sumner County school street after Charlie Kirk

A proposal to rename a Sumner County street in memory of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has prompted intense pushback.The principal of Liberty Creek High School wrote to county commissioners to express opposition. And that letter has spread quickly, leading to a flood of messages — particularly from parents at the school — asking commissioners to ditch the idea.

The proposal seeks to change Wolfpack Way to Charlie Kirk Way. It’s the street that connects the Liberty Creek schools. Principal Phillip Holt suggests choosing a different roadway because of the attachment the community has to the “Wolfpack” name, mascot and ideals. He also notes there’s been no engagement opportunity for the renaming.

Tara Piergies — whose son attends Liberty Creek Middle School — similarly suggested renaming another roadway or even a park if the community wants to honor Kirk. However, politics, she said, should be left out of schools.

“It would be polarizing, especially with how charged the national politics are, to rename our beloved Wolfpack Way to Charlie Kirk Way,” she told WPLN News. “I believe it’s gonna embroil our children in politics, which I think we need to avoid at all costs.”

More than 200 people chimed in on Facebook to respond to Holt’s letter opposing the name change. Many — including some self-described supporters of Kirk — also said that a different road at a different time would be more appropriate.

One parent expressed concern that renaming the walkway after Kirk might bring “unnecessary evil acts/attention upon our school” due to him being such a controversial figure.

Another said that now is a time for reflection and conversation, rather than “pushing an agenda to shape a narrative in our community because they fear the county is turning ‘too blue’ for their comfort.”

Charlie Kirk was the founder of Turning Point, USA — a political organization designed to rally young conservatives. He regularly toured college campuses to engage in political debates with students. Kirk was fatally shot on the first day of his fall college tour in Utah.