Michigan father sues school after being banned for opposing LGBT ‘pride’ flags in classrooms
At its heart, the father’s complaint alleges that the school’s actions were driven not by safety concerns for students, but by its abhorrence of his views seeking to restrict LGBT propaganda.
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Wed Mar 25, 2026 - 9:04 am EDT
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(LifeSiteNews) — A Michigan father has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Grosse Pointe Public School System (GPPS), accusing the district of violating his constitutional rights by barring him from his child’s middle school after he objected to rainbow-themed homosexual “pride” and transgender flags hanging in classrooms.
According to the legal complaint filed on his behalf, Gary Shane Pruitt attended a “back to school night” at Parcells Middle School in September 2024, “where he observed many rainbow/transgender pride flags on display at the school.”
After repeated failed attempts to address his concerns with the school principal, the school district’s superintendent – and a school board member who offered a snarky response, telling Pruitt, “If you are concerned that your child is seeing the colors of the rainbow, I would suggest sending them with tinted sunglasses so they aren’t subjected to the full spectrum” – Pruitt posted a video on social media showing the flags that were on display at the school in various classrooms and hallways.
Pruitt’s video has been posted by Libs of TikTok:
READ: Catholic university will host ‘Two-Spirit storyteller’ on ‘LGBTQ+ Journeys of Faith’
During the video, Pruitt noted that a rainbow flag hanging in one classroom “is actually bigger than any American flag that we’ve seen in any of the classrooms.”
“It’s loud, It’s in your face,” said Pruitt, “but of course, they want to be loud about it.”
After the video came to light, the school’s principal sent a notice to parents.
“Despite Defendant Wesley’s admission that the video did not threaten anyone and was simply an appropriate expression of protected political speech, he then informed all the parents that, in response to Pruitt’s posting, ‘We will have an increased police presence at the start of the school day at Parcells,’ implying that Mr. Pruitt was somehow a threat to students and staff at the middle school,” noted the complaint.
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Further, “Pruitt was then personally served by the Grosse Pointe Police Department with a letter (dated October 21, 2024) from Defendant’s school attorney that, ‘At the direction of the Superintendent, pursuant to Board Policy 8.07’ and for the reasons stated in the letter, he was issued a ‘no trespass’ order and was barred from entering onto school property until further notice.”
“Pruitt did nothing on the school grounds or campus that violated the cited policy, he did not use school property in any way, he did not cause any disruption while at the school, he did not harass, argue with, or intimidate anyone at the school, nor were there any school functions recorded,” his attorneys explained.
Nonetheless, the school system and the middle school “further retaliated, alienated, humiliated, and stigmatized Pruitt by publicly posting his photograph in the middle school office and publicly stating in writing that he was a trespasser and not allowed on school property.
“As a result of the posting of his picture and the statement, his child was stigmatized, ridiculed, and harassed by other children and individuals at the school,” Pruitt’s attorneys stated, adding, “The clear purpose and intent of Defendants’ actions described above was to intimidate Pruitt and others and to chill their speech if they disagreed with any action by GPPS.”
The complaint states that more than a year later, his photograph and the statement continue to be posted in the middle school office.
Pruitt attempted to have the “no trespass” order lifted without the need for litigation in a letter to Defendants’ counsel on January 16, 2026, but to no avail.
As of March 23, when the complaint was filed, the “no trespass” order was still in full force and effect.
At its heart, Pruitt’s complaint alleges that the school district’s actions were driven not by any safety concerns for students or staff, but by its abhorrence of Pruitt’s views seeking to restrict homosexual and transgender promotion within his child’s school.
“The chilling effect that would result if parents can be banned from school property for merely criticizing the school or its board is self-evident,” Pruitt’s complaint states. “It is not hard to imagine all of the abuses of power that could be committed by the state if public schools are permitted to punish any speech by any parent, at any time, on any device, and at any location, so long as the school found the speech to be ‘offensive.’”
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- Gender
- Grosse Pointe Police Department
- Grosse Pointe Public School System
- Lgbt
- LGBT in schools
- LGBT kids
- Lgbtq
- Libs of TikTok
- Michigan
- Pride
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