Overview

• Acting Deputy Superintendent Danika Globokar terminated Shannon “SJ” Joslin on Aug. 12 for “failure to demonstrate acceptable conduct,” citing participation in a demonstration outside a designated area without a permit.
• On May 20, Joslin and six others, including activist Pattie Gonia, hung a 55-by-35-foot transgender Pride flag from El Capitan for about two hours; Joslin says the action occurred off duty as a private citizen.
• Yosemite updated its Superintendent’s Compendium immediately after the display—signed May 21 and dated May 20—to ban hanging any banner, flag, or sign larger than 15 square feet from natural or cultural features without a permit.
• The National Park Service says it is taking administrative action against several employees, and spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz said federal officials may pursue criminal charges against visitors over alleged demonstration violations.
• Joslin, a Schedule A hire still within a two-year probationary period, says two other NPS employees are under investigation and plans to challenge the firing on First Amendment grounds.