What began as an act of solidarity ultimately took a bitter turn for a National Park Service biologist.
After helping display a pink, white and blue transgender flag at El Capitan in May 2025, Shannon Joslin, who uses “they/them” pronouns, found themselves at the center of controversy, claiming they were wrongfully terminated for their involvement and that their free speech rights had been violated.
In February 2026, Joslin filed a lawsuit against several government agencies and officials, alleging unlawful and retaliatory action in response to peaceful off-duty expression. They sought reinstatement to their job, a ruling that the government acted illegally, protection from criminal charges, and financial damages.
On Friday, a federal judge dismissed the case, ruling the court has no authority to force the park service to reinstate Joslin’s position.
However, the ruling did not settle the broader dispute surrounding Joslin’s firing. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston said that Joslin used the wrong process to challenge the firing.
Joslin was on their day off from work at the time, installing the flag as a “private citizen,” they said.
A week after the demonstration, Joslin was contacted by a Park Service law enforcement officer about the flag and told them they were “under criminal investigation.” In a follow-up interview, Yosemite’s acting deputy superintendent issued a termination letter.
The court ruling revealed that Joslin was a few weeks shy of completing their two-year trial period when the termination occurred.
According to their employer, Joslin “failed to demonstrate acceptable conduct” during the trial period by participating in a demonstration without the proper permit, “thus [circumventing] rules applicable to all park visitors.”
Joslin later received a form, which cited a presidential executive order and unspecified “unacceptable conduct,” the court ruling said.
Soon after, Joslin posted on social media expressing outrage, and the story gained traction online.
“I want my rights and I want my career back,” Joslin wrote in an August 2025 Instagram post. “No one, in any of my roles has EVER had negative comments about my conduct. I treat people with the time, patience and respect I hope they will give to me.”
Joslin can challenge their termination through the Civil Service Reform Act, which protects federal employees from unfair practices and political retaliation, according to Thurston.
In fact, Joslin began this process by filing a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, or OSC, in December 2025, alleging that the government’s actions “prohibited personnel practice.”
“My firing isn’t just about one ranger,” Joslin told The Times in 2025. “It’s about whether everyone has the right to speak freely in the United States. This kind of targeting threatens the rights of civil servants, and by extension, all Americans, to speak freely.”
The Office of Special Counsel has up to 240 days to respond to Joslin’s complaint. The deadline is Aug. 3. However, due to a government shutdown and a backlog of cases, the OSC is expected to delay its response.
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