(NewsNation) — Media personality Savannah Chrisley defended a group of Tennessee students she says were “silenced” by their private Christian school after attempting to honor late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“The administration is just being cowards,” she told “Morning in America” on Thursday. “Charlie Kirk died for our freedom and for our right to practice free speech and to practice religion, and unfortunately, Lispcom Academy has failed drastically.”
She criticized Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy for reprimanding students who wore red ties and jackets to school in Kirk’s memory. School officials cited dress code violations and asked the students to change their clothes.
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Chrisley, whose sister attends the school, once lobbied for President Donald Trump to pardon her parents on tax evasion and fraud charges.
Upper School Head Jesse Savage instructed the students to remove their ties, prompting complaints from students and parents, according to The Tennessean. In response, the school allowed the group to organize a chapel service on “being bold and impactful in their faith,” according to a statement obtained by the outlet.
Chrisley argued that no dress code should stifle students’ mourning and said some were told not to mention Kirk’s name during the chapel service.
“When it comes to a dress code, this is a private Christian institution; there’s no dress code that’s worth stifling these kids’ ability to mourn or to love Charlie Kirk,” she said.
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Chrisley said she enrolled her younger sister in Liscomb Academy because she believes in the core Christian values and beliefs, but believes the school has “strayed” from those tenets. She vowed to continue speaking out rather than pulling her sister from the school.
“We need to hold people accountable,” she said. “I refuse to do that. I refuse to leave the problem behind for other kids to have to suffer and deal with.”
Chrisley was scheduled to attend events alongside Kirk and Turning Point USA this month. While she will still participate in those events, Chrisley said she regrets she won’t get the opportunity to do them with Kirk.
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“Charlie gave me a voice when not a lot of people would, and for that I’ll forever be grateful,” Chrisley said. “We’re doing this for Charlie. When they silenced his voice, they created a million more.”
Less than two weeks after the dress code incident, Lipscomb announced Savage would step down from his position to become director of academics, a move the school said had been planned before the controversy, according to The Tennessean.
Lipscomb Academy is affiliated with Lipscomb University and the Churches of Christ, operating from a shared campus in Nashville and overseen by a shared board of trustees.
Christley attended Lipscomb University before transferring to Belmont University, according to The Tennessean.
