Judge Denies Reinstatement for Yosemite Ranger Fired Over 55-Foot Trans Pride Flag
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 13
Judge Denies Reinstatement for Yosemite Ranger Fired Over 55-Foot Trans Pride Flag
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 13
Summary
U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston dismissed Shannon Joslin’s case and denied a preliminary injunction, ruling she lacked authority to order the fired Yosemite ranger’s reinstatement or block any potential criminal probe.
The suit challenged Joslin’s firing after they unfurled a 55-foot by 35-foot trans pride flag across El Capitan in May 2025, arguing the government selectively enforced rules based on the flag’s message.
Thurston wrote the government’s stronger argument was jurisdictional, not factual: a federal trial court could not decide from this case whether the firing was unconstitutional or illegal.
The Interior Department said demonstrations without permits outside designated First Amendment areas harm visitor experience and park resources, framing the dispute as a rules-enforcement issue rather than a speech case.