A local group is planning to protest Erika Kirk’s upcoming appearance at Fayetteville Christian School to raise awareness about her visit and the nearly $5 million in public funds the private school received in the last school year.
The Fayetteville Resistance Coalition, which describes itself as a non-partisan organization “united in opposition to authoritarianism,” has scheduled a demonstration on Wednesday outside the school at 1422 Ireland Drive. Kirk, CEO and board chair of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, is expected to address junior high and high school students about civic engagement.
Pat Wiley, who organized the protest, questioned the school’s decision to invite a politically controversial figure while receiving taxpayer-funded tuition payments through North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship program.
According to an April 2026 report by Public Schools First NC, Fayetteville Christian School (FCS) received $2.01 million in Opportunity Scholarship payments during the 2023-24 school year, $3.68 million in 2024-25, and $4.27 million in 2025-26.
This makes Fayetteville Christian School the largest recipient of Opportunity Scholarship funding in Cumberland County for the 2025–26 school year, according to the report. Since the program began in 2014-15, the school has received more than $15.3 million.
The Opportunity Scholarship program provides state-funded tuition assistance for students attending participating private schools. Scholarship payments are made to schools on behalf of students.
“It’s a private school—but at the same time, if they’re getting $4.7 million of our taxpayers’ money, it’s basically subsidized,” Wiley said.
Beyond the school’s receipt of taxpayer-funded vouchers, Wiley questioned the motivation behind Kirk’s invitation and its educational purpose.
“I don’t think Erika Kirk pulled out a paper map and threw a dart at the board and it just landed on Fayetteville,” he said. “It just begs a lot of questions—what’s the point of this?”
He said the coalition’s primary goal is to draw public attention to the visit, regardless of how many demonstrators attend.
“It doesn’t matter if we get three people to show up with protests,” he said. “Part of our mission is to also put stuff like this on social media for awareness sake.”
Wiley said the coalition intends to demonstrate peacefully.
“We are advocates of First Amendment rights for everybody,” he said. “We’re not there to antagonize people of differing opinions.”
CityView first reported about Kirk’s appearance on Tuesday. The school declined repeated requests to respond to questions about the event. Turning Point USA did not respond to requests for comment.
‘We Are Taking Every Precaution Necessary’
In an email to parents obtained by CityView, FCS Head of School Tammi Peters defended the school’s handling of the event, outlined security preparations, and criticized parents who shared information about the previously private event.
“Regarding the CityView article and parent complaint that we had not shared the security plan with parents: You never share security plans as that negates the security plan,” Peters wrote in the Wednesday email.
Peters said the school security had been preparing for weeks, along with Kirk’s personal security detail.
“The Fayetteville Police Department is assisting and will have four officers on site, along with our two campus SRO officers, and our six-man former military school security team,” she wrote. “The whole campus will be encircled by the team.”
Peters also said access to the campus would be restricted to individuals who registered for the event.
“No other details will be shared. Please be assured that we are taking every precaution necessary to have a safe event,” Peters wrote.
However, both the Fayetteville Police Department and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said they were not involved in Kirk’s visit when asked by CityView on Wednesday.
“The Fayetteville Police Department is not involved with this visit,” Sgt. Antoine Kincade, the department’s public information officer, wrote in an email. “Unfortunately, I don’t know who will be responsible for that task.”
Lt. Mickey Locklear, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, also said the agency “has no involvement in the matter in question.”
It is possible the school hired off-duty officers to provide security at the Kirk event.
Beyond security preparations, Peters criticized parents who talked with CityView about the event.
“Logically, if someone is concerned about safety, they would not share our private event with a public news agency, thereby creating a risk that we were trying to avoid,” Peters wrote. “We believe disclosure to a news agency was an attempt to shut down our event.”
Peters also defended the school’s religious and educational philosophy, describing Fayetteville Christian School as a covenant school that partners with families to reinforce biblical teachings.
“Throughout the admissions process, we are open with our families about what we believe and teach,” Peters wrote. “As a covenant school, we partner with families in teaching our students how to hold fast to biblical truths, even in the face of adversity.”
She added that the school teaches respect for the Constitution and supports freedom of speech and assembly.
“We are a diverse school full of parents who enroll their children with a full understanding of our commitment to these principles,” Peters wrote.
According to Peters, hundreds of parents have registered to attend Kirk’s appearance alongside their children. For families who do not want their children participating, Peters said students may arrive at 10:30 a.m., when the school resumes its regular schedule.
‘My Issue Isn’t About Silencing Anyone’
The parent who initially raised concerns with CityView about Kirk’s appearance said her objections extend beyond security to questions about inclusion, representation, and the political messages students encounter at school.
“School should be a place where all children feel welcomed, respected, and comfortable, regardless of their race, background, or political beliefs,” the parent said in a message to CityView. “When you bring controversial political figures into a school setting, you risk making students and families who don’t share those views feel excluded or uncomfortable.”
The parent, who was granted anonymity to speak about the race to avoid reprisals, said she was encouraged to learn that others shared her concerns.
“It’s also good to know that I’m not the only one with concerns because I really felt like I was alone,” she said.
She said she does not want her child to feel pressured to adopt a particular political viewpoint to belong at school.
“As a parent, I don’t want my child feeling like they have to agree with a particular political ideology just to feel like they belong,” she said. “And as a Black parent, I think it’s especially important to question whether the school is being intentional about creating an inclusive environment where different perspectives and experiences are represented.”
“My issue isn’t about silencing anyone,” she added. “It’s about fairness, representation, and remembering that these are children who are there to receive an education, not be influenced by one particular political movement.”
