A teacher at Little Miami High School near Cincinnati, Ohio, put up a simple flag in their classroom. It read: "Hate Has No Home Here." It showed a heart-shaped American flag surrounded by Pride flags. The message was clear — every student deserves to feel safe and welcome in school.

In February 2026, the Little Miami Board of Education voted 4-1 to force that flag off the classroom wall, claiming it was "sexual content" that didn't belong in a school. The board president, David Wallace, personally entered the teacher's classroom to photograph it — and then pushed the board to act after district leaders initially refused his request to remove it. One board member who voted for the removal said the flag "promoted hate" against Christians. A different board member who voted for removal has since resigned after social media posts he made denying the Holocaust and praising Hitler became public.

The teacher, who has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit to get the flag back, wasn't making a political statement. They were trying to make sure every kid — regardless of who they are or who they love — felt seen and safe. That's what good teachers do.

The First Amendment protects public school teachers' right to speak on matters of public concern. Federal courts have long recognized that educators do not lose their constitutional rights when they step into a classroom. This lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Southern District Court of Ohio, argues that Wallace and the Little Miami School District violated that protected right — and the community agrees.

We are calling on the Little Miami Board of Education to immediately restore the "Hate Has No Home Here" flag to the classroom where it belongs, and to publicly affirm that LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families are welcomed and respected in Little Miami Schools. A message of kindness is not a controversy. Removing it is.

Sign this petition to stand with a teacher who just wanted every child to feel like they matter.