The Winooski School District in Vermont flew a Somali flag on Dec. 5 to show solidarity with students of Somali descent after President Trump described Minnesota’s Somali community as “garbage.” The display prompted racist calls, voicemails and social media attacks that forced the district to temporarily disable phone lines and its website and to involve law enforcement. School leaders and a multilingual liaison defended the gesture and emphasized community safety and inclusion, while the White House called the harassment the actions of unrelated individuals. The district plans continued outreach to celebrate its diverse student body.
Vermont School Receives Racist Threats After Flying Somali Flag in Show of Solidarity
A Somali flag flies alongside the United States and Vermont flags outside the Winooski School District building Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
WINOOSKI, Vt. — A small Vermont school district was inundated with racist and threatening calls and online messages after it raised the Somali national flag on Dec. 5 to show support for its Somali students following President Donald Trump’s comment calling Minnesota’s Somali community “garbage.” The Winooski School District’s gesture aimed to signal inclusion for roughly 9% of its student body who are of Somali descent.
Community Response and Backlash
The Somali flag was flown at a building that houses K–12 classrooms and administrative offices, displayed beneath the United States flag and alongside the Vermont state flag. Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria, a Nicaraguan immigrant, said Somali students cheered and clapped when they saw the flag, and that the gesture meant a great deal to them.
Winooski School District Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria works at his desk Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Within hours, district staff and students were targeted by a deluge of abusive phone calls, voicemails and social media posts. Some school phone lines and the district website were temporarily taken offline to protect employees and families from harassment. Chavarria noted that short video clips circulating on right-leaning apps omitted the U.S. and Vermont flags, removing key context from the scene.
Safety Measures and Investigation
The district is cooperating with law enforcement as authorities investigate the threats, and additional police officers have been stationed at school buildings as a precaution. Mukhtar Abdullahi, a multilingual liaison who works with Somali-speaking families, said students have been worried for their parents’ safety and affirmed, “No one, no human being, regardless of where they come from, is garbage.”
A Winooski Police vehicle is parked outside of the Winooski Police Department on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Political Context
A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, characterized the harassment as “the actions of individuals who have nothing to do with” President Trump. The episode comes amid federal immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota that has focused on Somali immigrants accused of living unlawfully in the U.S. President Trump has made critical public statements about some Somali immigrants, while Minneapolis officials say Somali newcomers have started businesses, created jobs and enriched the city’s cultural life. Most Somali residents in Minnesota are U.S. citizens and more than half were born in the United States.
District Response and Community Solidarity
Chavarria said he had authority to fly the flag for up to a week without explicit school board approval and described the district’s additional efforts to honor Somali students, including an event featuring catered Somali food. “I felt sorrow for the students, the families, the little kids that are my responsibility to keep safe,” he said. “It’s my responsibility to make them feel like they belong and that this is their country and this is their school district.”
A Somali flag is flies alongside the United States and Vermont flags outside the Winooski School District building Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The district emphasized resilience and community support in the wake of the threats, while continuing to work with law enforcement to ensure safety for students and staff.
Reporting note: Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
