Rock outside Matthews high school painted with anti-gay, pro-Trump message

MATTHEWS, N.C. – A University of North Carolina at Charlotte professor, Dr. Robert Herman-Smith, shared a photo on Facebook on Sunday of a rock with an anti-gay and pro-Trump message painted on it, which he says is outside a school in Matthews. The school is believed to be David W. Butler High School.

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“Adam & Eve Not Adam & Steve,” the rock reads, with “Trump” painted beneath it.

qnotes has reached out to Herman-Smith as well as the school to try to get more information. We will update as it becomes available.

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“I took this photo about an hour ago in front of our high school, one of the best public high schools in the state with a reputation for “academic excellence, a top-notch sports program, and tolerance. All I have to say right now is, ‘Thank you, Mr. Trump for elevating the political discourse in our country,'” Herman-Smith said.

UPDATE (8/23 1:45 p.m.) – We have heard back from Dr. Robert Herman-Smith’s husband, Jeff Herman-Smith, whom we also reached out to on Facebook and he has given us more information concerning the situation. He confirmed that the rock was in front of David W. Butler High School, as suspected.

The rock had been painted in rainbow colors and was meant to celebrate one of the student’s 16th birthday.

Herman-Smith told us they took the picture of the vandalized rock on Sunday morning and then, after making the Facebook post, contacted the school’s principal.

“But we didn’t have his direct email, so we sent him a Facebook message, not sure how soon he might see it,” he said. “We also contacted Matthews Mayor Taylor, who we also knew through school functions. He responded very quickly; he was not yet aware of it, but let us know he had contacted CMS to cover it. When we returned home around 5 p.m., the words had been painted over.”

Then someone did one better and painted the rock with a new message, one of love and tolerance.

Love Trumps hate.