Winooski School District in Vermont
A small Vermont school district managed to ignite a nationwide uproar by raising the bright-blue flag of Somalia over its own front lawn. What administrators in the Winooski School District sold as a harmless gesture of “inclusion” has instead sparked threats, shutdowns, and a political firestorm far bigger than the town itself.
The controversy kicked off when the district posted a proud announcement on Facebook: “We are raising the Somali flag this week in honor of our Somali youth and families in Winooski and Vermont,” the district wrote. “On Monday, we will be gathering to celebrate together and to learn more about our civil rights.”
Within hours, the video of students hoisting the flag—shared by Libs of TikTok—exploded across conservative media. The result? A tidal wave of phone calls and angry messages flooding into this quiet city of just 7,000 people—around 140 of whom are Somali.
Winooski School District in Vermont
The district scrambled to issue a clarification so careful it practically tiptoed across the page: “First, we want to assure everyone that the United States flag remains in its proper place at the highest point, in full compliance with the US Flag Code.”
Officials explained the setup like a legal deposition—three poles: U.S. flag on top, Vermont flag below, and the Somali flag on the lowest mast “for one week only.”
“The United States flag remains in its proper place at the highest point,” they repeated pointedly.
The district insisted the move was nothing more than a symbolic show of support: “The Somali flag is being flown for one week as a gesture of support for Somali students and families. Winooski is a proudly diverse community, and we are committed to recognizing and uplifting the cultures and identities represented in our schools.”
But symbolic or not, the backlash was immediate and intense. Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria—an immigrant from Nicaragua—said things spiraled around 9:30 a.m. Monday. Some callers hurled slurs; others issued explicit threats. As messages poured in, the tiny district rerouted calls to voicemail, contacted local police, and then took the dramatic step of shutting down its entire website.
Visitors were greeted with a stark message: the site had been “removed from public view” due to “an unprecedented volume of illegitimate traffic targeting our services.”
Chavarria spent hours reviewing the deluge of voicemails, some threatening violence. Despite the heat, he dug in his heels: “The district will continue visibly standing up for students with actual actions.” Then came the ominous line: “I believe this is going to get worse before it gets better.”
What sparked the district’s sudden enthusiasm for flag diplomacy? According to Chavarria, the ceremony was a direct response to President Donald Trump’s recent comments calling Somali immigrants “garbage” and saying he didn’t want them in the U.S. Those remarks “rattled” local Somali families, he said, prompting the district to roll out not only the flag, but a full week of events including a civil-rights workshop and Somali food celebration.
Online, the reaction mirrored America’s political divide. Outraged commenters accused the district of indulging in divisive identity politics:
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“There are more appropriate ways to recognize and uplift your Somalian students and families. Please reconsider. This is causing more divide and frustration.”
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“Is the American flag burning ceremony next week?”
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“Get ready for a visit from ICE.”
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“I hope the school district loses all federal funding. There is only one flag – the American flag.”
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“This is America. Diversity is accepted, but we should be putting America first.”
But others—mostly alumni and Somali community members—praised the district:
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“As a proud Somali who went to Winooski for middle and high school, I’m grateful to see my old school stand with our community and lift us up.”
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“Very proud to be an alumni of this wonderful school district. Thank you for showing us the way in this dark time.”
