Lawsuit by the Yosemite ranger fired after hanging a giant transgender flag is dismissed
Source: ABC News/AP
June 14, 2026, 12:26 PM ET
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a former Yosemite National Park ranger who was fired after flying a giant transgender pride flag from a rock wall that looms over the California park's main thoroughfare. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston found on Friday that Shannon “SJ” Joslin, who identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronoun they, must follow the process set out by the Civil Service Reform Act.
Since Joslin was still a probationary employee at the time of their firing last year, that means they must file a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, which they have done. The Office of Special Counsel denied Joslin's initial request to put their termination on hold while investigating whether the Park Service broke the law, according to court filings. A final determination is due in August.
Joslin, a biologist who studied bats, said they helped hang a 66-foot wide transgender pride flag on El Capitan for about two hours on May 20, 2025, before taking it down voluntarily. Joslin hung the flag on their day off, not while they were on duty. They told The Associated Press last year that hanging the flag was their way of saying, “We’re all safe in national parks.”
Joslin's termination letter, received in August of 2025, accused them of “failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct” and cited the flag incident. “You participated in a small group demonstration in an area outside the designated protest and demonstration area without a permit ... and thus circumvented rules applicable to all park visitors,” the letter stated.
Read more: https://abcnews.com/amp/US/wireStory/lawsuit-yosemite-ranger-fired-after-hanging-giant-transgender-133866143
REFERENCES
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143515852
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143621300