Tag: Charlie Kirk

A debate reflective of the country’s political divide is unfolding at Wheeling High School, where groups are clashing over efforts to honor slain political firebrand Charlie Kirk, arguably its most famous graduate.

Students, parents and community members have begun signing dueling petitions on how to best memorialize Kirk, who was shot and killed at a Utah college event last week. One proposal requests a “day of honor” and a “notable alumnus” designation for Kirk, while the other tries to block the accolades and says people can pay tribute to him at one of the many public memorials.

Kirk, who was 31 when he was killed, often talked about how he developed his political views and honed his debating skills at the northwest suburban high school. In the days since his assassination, Kirk’s legacy has become the subject of public disagreement, with conservatives hailing him as a champion of free speech and liberals spotlighting his messaging that often incorporated racist, misogynistic and homophobic language.

On Friday, a group of parents started a petition to “honor Charlie Kirk and foster inclusive education” at High School District 214 schools, including Wheeling High School. The petition, posted on Change.org, asked for “distinguished graduate” plaques and signage to honor Kirk throughout the school, and to fast track chapters of Kirk’s political organization, Turning Point USA, throughout the district.

It also seeks a districtwide “day of honor” in Kirk’s name in coordination with the Presidential Medal of Freedom President Trump announced he will posthumously award him. The petition said this day could include “school assemblies, moments of reflection or community events focused on themes of resilience, free expression and public service.”

“Such a day would not only celebrate one alumnus’s (sic) legacy but also reinforce District 214’s mission to prepare students for active citizenship in a diverse society,” the petition said.

A day after the petition appeared on Change.org, an opposing appeal was launched. It expressed condolences to Kirk’s family, then called his legacy “divisive, not unifying,” and said Turning Point chapters would not be “educationally neutral.” It also said a “day of honor” would be “divisive and inappropriate.”

“While his achievements are notable to some, honoring him at this level would send a message to many students, families, and staff — especially those who have been targeted or alienated by Kirk’s rhetoric — that their concerns and lived experiences are secondary,” the petition said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the pro-Kirk petition had about 3,600 signatures and its opposition had 2,600.

Amy Osterman, a Wheeling resident who said both she and her two adult kids are graduates of the school, was one of about six parents who started the petition to honor Kirk. She said she enjoyed listening to Kirk opine on his show and debate students.

Osterman said she attended a school board meeting the day after Kirk’s death and was unsatisfied by the board’s response. She said when it became “obvious they weren’t going to do anything,” they started the petition. If anything, she said she’s surprised there are not more signatures.

“I didn’t agree with everything he said, but you can’t deny that he’s a distinguished alumni (sic) from the district, right?” she said. “When the NFL has a moment of silence for him and they’re chanting his name in London, the man made an impact.”

Kirk started Turning Point USA, the organization that helped enliven Republican young people and gather support for Trump, two days after he graduated from Wheeling in 2012. In an interview with the Tribune in 2018, he mentioned the boycott he led after the school’s cafeteria raised the cost of a cookie from a quarter to 50 cents, and the supposed arguments he got into with Wheeling teachers over what he perceived to be their Marxist viewpoints. (His classmates remembered these interactions differently.)

District 214, which includes Wheeling High School, said in a statement that it’s aware of the two petitions, and “while we continue to extend our deepest condolences to Charlie Kirk’s family and friends for this terrible and senseless loss,” it will not hold a districtwide memorial. The statement said a memorial would “disrupt the learning environment at our schools.”

“Instead, we encourage students, faculty, staff, and families to mourn and remember Charlie Kirk together at one of the many public services and vigils that are being organized throughout the community,” the statement said.

The statement also said the district will “(update) its processes” for applying to and assessing the “Distinguished Alumni Awards.” It said it will follow its current procedures if students wish to create a new non-school sponsored activity, such as a Turning Point club.

When told by the Tribune that the district didn’t plan to hold a “day of honor,” Osterman said “it’s disheartening.” She said the school could also leave it up to students whether they wanted to attend or not.

She said she thinks people who signed the opposing petition are “misinformed” and being “spoonfed from the media.”

“Their eyes are closed,” she said.

Aleks Panek, a junior at Wheeling, said he’s a “big fan of Charlie” and signed the petition to honor him. He said he also attended a vigil for Kirk in Arlington Heights.

“He was a great person, in my opinion,” Panek said. “He had a wife, he had kids. He was very religious and he touched lives. He touched young lives. I don’t think people should get shot for their political beliefs.”

Susan Schulenberg, a Wheeling resident, said she signed the petition because she thinks his “incredible accomplishments” should be celebrated.

“He inspired millions with his love of God, love of liberty, and love of America,” she said.

It’s not “unheard of for someone who’s had a profound impact” to be recognized at their alma mater, said David Mathis, a Republican running for the Illinois state Senate in District 27, which includes a portion of the northwest suburbs. Mathis supported the petition and other efforts to honor Kirk, who he said promoted civil and open political discussions.

“I’m not saying to change the name from Wheeling High School to Charlie Kirk High School,” Mathis said. “I’m not saying that, but to ask for (him) to be recognized, or say, hey, this is a day that the school recognizes. I mean, I don’t think it’s a whole lot to do.”

The petition has also been promoted online by the Lake County chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative “parental rights” organization that has been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They encouraged people to sign the petition and recognize Kirk’s “impact” and “contributions” to Wheeling and beyond.

According to Change.org, the opposing petition was started by a person named “April Mahoney.” Efforts to reach Mahoney were not successful.

Wheeling senior Grace Mikhail expressed concern about the idea of an honor day for Kirk, noting that many students she knows did not agree with Kirk’s political positions.

“I think it would cause issues for no reason,” she said.

Mikhail said she learned about Kirk from watching him debate liberal commentator Dean Withers on TikTok. Mikhail said that though she did not share Kirk’s views, she does not approve of violence.

It seems to Joe Sonnefeldt, 60, that any “official steps” by the district to honor Kirk would be “inappropriate.” He doesn’t think schools should provide a “safe space” for Turning Point USA to promote Christian nationalism.

Sonnefeldt’s children attended Prospect High School in District 214, and he worked as a substitute teacher, he said.

“I guess you could say he was a significant leader in the conservative movement, he had millions of followers, whatever you want to say,” Sonnefeldt said. “But that doesn’t mean he was a good person. And he really, in his speaking, he said some very ugly, vile things, demonizing other people.”

Carolyn Pinta, a teacher at Twin Groves Middle School in Buffalo Grove, has come under fire for social media posts criticizing Kirk and accusing him of disparaging minorities after his death. Moms for Liberty Lake County has asked followers on its Facebook page to demand her firing, but Pinta said she posted her views after hearing from parents who were upset about the effort to memorialize Kirk.

“It’s not appropriate,” Pinta said. “It does not align with their school values. And that’s not to say that Charlie Kirk was not an important person to many people, but to be honored by the school, I think his vision did not align with their values.”

Since Kirk’s killing, some conservatives have sought to ostracize or pressure employers to fire those who criticized Kirk after his death, alleging it amounts to hate speech.

Pinta also said she did not support Kirk’s killing and wished for stronger gun control measures to prevent further tragedies.

“No matter how you felt about the man, it is tragic for a 31-year-old with a young family to be killed, and instead of tearing each other apart about what anybody’s message is, the problem is the access to weapons,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed.