Just outside Burlington, Vermont, the Winooski School District—home to about 9 % Somali students—raised Somalia’s light‑blue flag this Monday. The school said it was honoring “the Somali youth and families in Winooski and Vermont.” A clip of the ceremony blew up online, bringing a flood of angry comments. The backlash came after shocking reports of a $1 billion aid‑fraud scandal involving Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
In the wake of the outcry, district officials pulled the site down and cut the connection to many phone lines. “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 U.S. Flag Code,” the district posted in a statement. It added a short note to clarify the flag arrangement: “The 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.” The school said the Somali flag would fly for a week “as a gesture of support for Somali students and families.” Another line from the statement read, “Winooski is a proudly diverse community, and we are committed to recognizing and uplifting the cultures and identities represented in our schools.”
The incident drew attention from across the nation, including President Trump, who last week slammed Minnesota’s “Feeding Our Future” fraud scandal and dismissed Rep. Ilhan Omar—who represents the North Star State—as a “terrible person.” Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria called the backlash a “coordinated national campaign.” As callers poured in, the district forwarded them to voicemail; some harbored racial slurs or outright threats, officials said.
The Winooski Police Department was on site that day and the district’s website was temporarily replaced with a notice that it had been “removed from public view” while the district worked to “address and mitigate an unprecedented volume of illegitimate traffic targeting our services.” Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson posted on X, noting, “I’ve got a suggestion for ICE’s next stop.” A critical comment replied, “Is the American flag burning ceremony next week?” Another wrote, “I hope the school district loses all federal funding. There is only one flag — the American flag.”
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