A non-binary park ranger who unfurled a massive transgender pride flag from Yosemite’s El Capitan says they were punished not for misconduct — but for speaking out.
Now, they’re taking the federal government to court.
Shannon “S.J.” Joslin, 36, a Ph.D.-holding bat biologist and longtime National Park Service ranger, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were illegally fired and subjected to a criminal investigation in retaliation for constitutionally protected speech.
The alleged offense: climbing Yosemite’s iconic granite monolith last May and hanging a 55-foot-by-35-foot pink, blue, and white transgender pride flag.
The banner flew for less than three hours.
Joslin was off duty at the time.
Three months later, they were terminated for what the Park Service described as a failure to demonstrate “acceptable conduct.” According to the lawsuit filed Monday in Washington, D.C., Joslin was also told they were under criminal investigation.
Their attorneys argue the move was a “vindictive campaign” designed to punish political speech the administration didn’t like.
“For decades, climbers at Yosemite National Park have expressed messages — political and non-political — from the iconic rock formation El Capitan,” the complaint reads. “For this transgression, Dr. Joslin was summarily fired and then, in a significant escalation, criminally investigated.”
The lawsuit names the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and acting NPS director Jessica Bowron as defendants.
Joslin says they took part in the climb because they were “really hurting” over what they describe as the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on trans rights.
While California law provides strong anti-discrimination protections, Yosemite is federal land — and earlier this year the administration ordered federal agencies to enforce a transgender bathroom ban on federal property. In February, the National Park Service also removed the word “transgender” from the Stonewall National Monument website, despite the central role trans activists played in the historic uprising.
Joslin said they wanted to send a clear message: that trans and non-binary people are safe and welcome in America’s national parks.
The lawsuit argues that political expression from El Capitan is hardly unprecedented. Over the years, climbers have displayed Father’s Day greetings, climate change protests, pro-Palestinian banners, and even inverted American flags.
According to the complaint, no federal employees were ever disciplined for participating in those demonstrations.
Joslin and their fellow climbers — six in total — say they consulted colleagues who had attended official National Park Service First Amendment training sessions and were assured that participation in expressive activity was permitted as long as they were off duty.
The day after the flag display, Yosemite officials announced a new ban on flying large flags in most areas of the park.
Though the policy was dated May 20 — the day of the climb — it was electronically signed on May 21, the day after it flew.
“On information and belief, and based on the timing of the announcement, the park’s stated justification was pretext for censoring disfavored speech like Dr. Joslin’s flag demonstration,” the lawsuit claims.
Joslin is seeking reinstatement, a court order barring criminal prosecution, damages of at least $1,000, and coverage of legal fees.
At its core, the case raises a question that stretches beyond Yosemite’s granite walls: Can federal employees be punished for off-duty political expression when it challenges those in power?
Joslin’s supporters say the answer must be no.
