Overview
- The Winooski School District raised Somalia’s flag on a third mast for one week to support Somali students, keeping the U.S. flag highest and the Vermont flag second in line with flag code.
- The district reported more than 200 racist and threatening messages, took its website offline, and routed calls to voicemail as officers were stationed on campus.
- Vermont State Police are investigating and say the messages appear to be part of a coordinated national effort, with no credible threats found so far.
- Videos of the flag-raising were amplified by high-follower conservative accounts, including posts that showed only the Somali flag and fueled false impressions that the U.S. flag was removed.
- District leaders note roughly 9% of students are Somali and say the gesture comes as national rhetoric and headlines about Minnesota fraud cases drive heightened scrutiny; the flag is scheduled to fly through the end of the week.