At a Build-A-Bear Workshop in Southcenter Mall, a 16-year-old girl says she was denied permission to name a stuffed bear “Charlie Kirk,” triggering a dispute over toy naming policies and political expression.
The teen, Evi McCormick, told local media that after designing the bear, she asked staff to print a custom birth certificate bearing the name of the recently slain conservative activist. According to McCormick, a manager refused and crumpled the certificate in front of her.
The store cited its policy against “indecent or distasteful names,” although McCormick and her family insist the request was intended as a tribute, not political provocation. The encounter left McCormick feeling humiliated.
Following a complaint from her mother, Build-A-Bear offered a $20 gift card and later issued a formal apology, promising to retrain staff to avoid bias over political references. The family says the gesture is insufficient and that such decisions shouldn’t be made at the register.