Johnston County School Board Bans Pride Flags in Classrooms, Drawing Mixed Reactions

JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. — The Johnston County School Board has voted to prohibit the display of Pride flags and other non-official symbols in classrooms and on school property, sparking a wave of both support and backlash across the community.

On Tuesday, July 8, the board voted 4–2 to amend its “Distribution and Display of Non-School Material” policy, limiting all signage and flags to representations of official entities — such as the United States, North Carolina, Johnston County, or school-affiliated items.

The new rule applies to classrooms, buses, sports fields, and school grounds, and directly affects how teachers express solidarity with LGBTQ+ students through symbolic displays like rainbow flags or human rights pins.

Policy Mirrors Past Federal Stances on Flag Displays

The revised policy closely echoes the “one-flag policy” once adopted by the Trump administration’s State Department, which limited embassies to flying only the U.S. flag…

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