Judge rules she lacks authority to reinstate fired Yosemite ranger

A federal judge ruled Friday that he did not have the authority to reinstate a park ranger who was fired from Yosemite last summer after flying a transgender flag on his day off.

Shannon “SJ” Joslin, who identifies as non-binary, sued the Department of the Interior, which includes the National Park Service, earlier this year after she was fired last year for hanging a flag on the park’s El Capitan rock formation in California.

The former ranger asked the Biden-appointed judge in his case to reinstate Joslin and block the government from launching a criminal investigation.

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Joslin argued in the lawsuit that the government “selectively enforced its rules based on the message the pride flag sent” and that Joslin’s firing was “vindictive, retaliatory.” [and] It is intended to convey disapproval of a particular point of view.”

“The government argues that Joslin was fired for reasons that had “nothing to do” with the “conversation,” U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston wrote in her decision obtained by Fox News Digital. “But the government has a more fundamental and more persuasive point: Under the laws Congress has enacted and the legal precedent that the federal court must follow, this Court does not have the authority to decide whether Joslin was fired for unconstitutional or illegal reasons or to obstruct an investigation.” a hypothetical criminal case against them.”

Thurston wrote that the government’s motion to dismiss was granted and Joslin’s request for a preliminary injunction was denied.

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joslin wrote an Instagram post Following the firing, they were kicked out of the park “for enforcing my First Amendment right” after hoisting the 55-foot by 35-foot flag at Yosemite’s iconic rock destination in May 2025.

“I was fired by the interim Deputy Superintendent for ‘failure to demonstrate acceptable behavior’ as a Wildlife Biologist at the park. No part of the flag display was done during work time. NOTHING had anything to do with my job,” Joslin wrote.

A Yosemite National Park sign is seen in El Portal, California, on October 31, 2025. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Joslin flew the flag for about two hours before taking it down, adding that after decades of practice, “no one” had been punished for flying a flag on El Capitan before last week.

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“I want my rights and I want my career back,” Joslin said.

“We take the protection of the park’s resources and our visitors’ experiences very seriously, and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that affect these resources and experiences,” the Department of Internal Affairs told Fox News Digital on Friday following the decision.

Close-up shows the engraved National Park Service logo in San Francisco, California. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Yosemite National Park was designated by Congress to highlight the beautiful natural and cultural features of the area. Regardless of the reason, unauthorized demonstration outside First Amendment designated areas negatively impacts the visitor experience and preservation of the park. “To ensure the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, many shows require permits.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Public Service Legal Center, which represents Joslin, for comment.