Vermont school district flies Somali flag amid massive fraud investigation in divisive move: GOP chair
A rural Vermont school district has stirred social media controversy after raising a Somali flag last week, amid a national reckoning over fraud in the Somali community in Minnesota and leading to condemnation from the state's GOP chairman.
"I just don't understand why our K through 12 schools think this is the most important thing," Paul Dame, chairman of the Vermont Republican Party, told Fox News Digital. "I think most Vermonters, probably most Americans, want their schools to focus on reading, writing and arithmetic, and not what flags get displayed outside the school. It seems like a huge waste of time."
The Winooski School District, located in western Vermont near the city of Burlington, is at the center of the controversy.
"We are raising the Somali flag this week in honor of our Somali youth and families in Winooski and Vermont," the Winooski School District said in a Facebook post on Dec. 5. "On Monday, we will be gathering to celebrate together and to learn more about our civil rights."
Over the weekend, the story went viral on X and other social media sites, as photos of the flag-raising were reposted across the web.
That led to a Monday clarification by the school district in a comment on its original Facebook post.
"First, we want to assure our community that the United States flag remains in its proper place at the highest point, in full accordance with the U.S. Flag Code," the school's follow-up post said. "The Winooski School District has three flag masts: the U.S. flag on the top mast, the Vermont state flag on the second, and—this week—the Somali flag on the third."
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"The Somali flag is being flown for one week as a gesture of support for our Somali students and families," the post said. "Winooski is a proudly diverse community, and we are committed to recognizing and uplifting all of the cultures that make our district stronger."
Dame described the potential for divisiveness that flying a foreign flag can evoke, and called it "intentionally provocative."
"It's not making things better for the students in the school, because obviously there's probably some students who support that and some students who feel differently," said Dame. "So it's not doing anything positive to bring the school together or create a better learning environment."
"People just really have a hard time raising the flag over an American property that's not the American flag, and I think schools — it's really imperative that if schools want to be able to bring their community together — they take a look at things like this that are intentionally dividing them, and bring their community together."
The district found support among many commenters on its Facebook page.
"Very proud to be an alumni of this wonderful school district," said a commenter named Jennifer Agnew. "Thank you for doing what you can to protect our community members, and for showing us the way in this dark time."
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"Grateful for our Somali neighbors – you are welcome and I appreciate your contributions to our city!" Kate Cappleman Sinz said.
The responses on X took on a much different tone.
"We shouldn't be flying foreign flags on public school grounds in America," author and founder of ACT for America Brigitte Gabriel said. "Especially, the Somali flag! The Winooski School District in Vermont needs to be held accountable."
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"Winooski School District in Vermont has put up a Somali flag in protest to President Trump and as a message that all Somalis are welcome in the state," said commentator Benny Johnson. "I’ve got a suggestion for ICE’s next stop."
The school district's move comes amid a U.S. House investigation and a Treasury Department review of schemes largely perpetrated by Minnesota's Somali community involving the alleged theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID relief funds and fraud related to public housing programs and autism relief services.
Claims that at least some of the money was funneled to the African Islamic terror group Al-Shabaab are also being probed.
The Winooski School District did not respond to a request for comment.
Employees in the Minnesota Department of Human Services accused Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of presiding over the alleged fraud, despite being warned of its existence.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the controversy on Truth Social, and vowed to end a popular path to legal residence in the United States.
"Minnesota, under Governor [Tim] Walz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity," he said in a Nov. 20 post. "I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota."