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Judge finds no authority to reinstate Yosemite ranger fired for trans flag
The judge said the court could not reinstate Shannon Joslin or block a possible criminal investigation after the ranger was fired for the flag display.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston dismissed a lawsuit from former Yosemite National Park ranger Shannon SJ Joslin, ruling the court lacked authority to reinstate the employee or address the termination claims.
The National Park Service fired Joslin last year for unfurling a 55-foot by 35-foot transgender pride flag across El Capitan, an act Joslin maintains was protected by the First Amendment.
Joslin argued the government "enforced its rules selectively based on the message that the pride flag sends," while the Interior Department maintained the firing was based on conduct, not speech.
Thurston directed Joslin to pursue claims through the Office of Special Counsel, noting the court cannot review the termination or block potential criminal investigations the former ranger also faces.
This legal challenge follows a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and "gender ideology" across the federal government, with The Civil Service Law Center representing Joslin.