A school board passed a blanket ban on rainbow imagery in schools. Students are suing.https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/a-school-board-passed-a-blanket-ban-on-rainbow-imagery-in-schools-students-are-suing/ 🔗John Russell (28 Sep 2026)
Two students are suing their Minnesota school district over a recently adopted policy banning Pride flags, rainbow stickers, and other symbols of support for the LGBTQ+ community.
According to the ACLU, for more than two years, teachers at the district's high school have displayed rainbow flag stickers in the classrooms to signal that they are a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ students, as well as for students with LGBTQ+ parents. But a controversial policy adopted at the Detroit Lakes School Board's July 27 meeting ended that practice.
The policy, introduced by Sanford Nelson, one of the four board members named as a defendant in the suit, ordered "the immediate removal of all non-school materials not funded, sponsored, or authorized by the school district." It goes on to note that the ban applies "but is not limited to any rainbow stickers, posters, flags, buttons, etc. displayed in Detroit Lakes Public Schools facilities." As the complaint notes, only materials associated with the LGBTQ+ community are explicitly mentioned in the policy.
... Board Chair John Steffl later said in a September 2 interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune would also apply to patches on students' backpacks. Steffl also seemed to suggest that the policy might be selectively enforced. When asked about Christian symbols and messaging, he told the paper that "I'm a Christian so that doesn't bother me."----------------------
@Sarah B
