Teacher's colorful response to school district ban on pride flags goes viral on TikTok

A teacher in Reno, Nevada went viral for her colorful response to a school district policy that prohibits her from displaying a pride flag because it's considered political speech.

Jennifer Leja, a 7th and 8th grade teacher in the Washoe County School District who is bisexual, posted her response to the new policy on TikTok. The short a video features Leja sporting a rainbow lanyard in her rainbow-themed classroom.

"If anybody asks I just really like rainbows," she says as the camera pans over rainbow duct tape, flags, lettering and decor. "Rainbows aren't political, not at all. Rainbows are just colorful and fun."

Leja told BuzzFeed News she's the only openly LGBTQ teacher at her school and she's always kept a pride flag and rainbow gifts from students in her classroom until this year. The school district issued a new policy that prohibits "partisan political activities" during school hours and requires that any signage on District property that is or becomes political must be removed or covered. 

The district has also informed teachers and staff that they were prohibited from supporting Black Lives Matter while at work. 

"Supreme Court precedent is clear that public employees do not have First Amendment protection for speech issued as part of their official duties," the district wrote in response to an request for comment from the Reno Gazette Journal. "Our District community, much like our national community, holds a variety of political viewpoints and, in some instances those viewpoints are in conflict.  We have an obligation to accommodate and welcome students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds."

District officials told Leja she could not display a rainbow flag through clothing or in her class, but she could talk about her own sexuality or her partner.

"Who you are is not impacted by this policy, only what is expressed in class through visual aids," Trustee Andrew Caudill told her in an email reviewed by Buzzfeed.

Leja told the outlet she believes having a rainbow flag is very much part of who she is and it's important for students who are questioning their identities.

"It’s legal in every state to get married; it’s legal for LGBT people to exist in this country right now, so I don’t see how it's a political issue," she said. "I usually have a flock of 7th and 8th graders who are trying to learn who they are and how they identify, and they come towards me."

USA TODAY has reached out to Leja and the school district for more information.

Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg