The Tennessee Star on Thursday obtained an email from the Lipscomb Academy administration to the families who send their children to the Christian private school in Nashville, confirming it has created a new position that will be filled by Jesse Savage, who is currently the head of its upper school, and recently prohibited students from wearing suit jackets and red ties to mourn the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
In an email to parents of students at the Lipscomb Academy upper school, Head of School Brad Schultz revealed that administrators have decided the school will create a new “director of academics” position. Schultz said that Savage, “agreed to step into this pivotal role.”
Though said to be created in accordance with the school’s Next Level Strategic Plan, the document does not reference the new role, or contain a list of responsibilities for the director of academics.
However, Schultz described the director of academics role as a “faculty-facing and professional development position.” Savage will continue to serve as the head of upper school until Lipscomb Academy can locate a replacement, according to the email.
Lipscomb Academy shared the news just one day after The Star reported on Wednesday that a spokesman confirmed Savage prohibited students from wearing their formal attire to honor Kirk on September 11, and first claimed that students wore the jackets and ties on a later date, but later acknowledged this never occurred.
Instead, the spokesman told The Star that the interested students voluntarily agreed not to wear the jackets and ties, and instead agreed to collaborate with faculty members to create a chapel service for students to speak about their faith.
Asked whether Savage would have authority over students in the new position, a spokesman for Lipscomb Academy told The Star that Savage will work “directly with faculty,” and said the transfer “was under consideration before recent events.”
Parents previously told The Star that they were calling on Lipscomb University President Candice McQueen, the former Tennessee Education Commissioner who now oversees the private K-12 school through her role at the university, to terminate Savage’s employment at the school.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
I thought conservatives supported school dress codes?
Not good enough. This disrespect for a modern martyr and wonderful role model, then lying about his actions when called on it, must not be shoved under the rug. The head of Lipscomb University being a former Tennessee Education Commissioner does not inspire confidence in me. Perhaps avoidance of a lawsuit claiming contract violation is the reason, never mind damage to student trust in their school leaders.
Charlie Kirk was pronounced dead on September 10, 2025, at 12:23 p.m. MDT.
11:23 Central (Nashville) Time. So less than a day after? How odd. The timing seems a little perfunctory. So quickly these suit lans were made.
I’d hate to model that candy-assedness to my kids.
-MBB