A controversial Utah bill that originally sought to ban Pride flags in schools and government buildings has been amended following public backlash over remarks from its sponsor, Rep. Trevor Lee (R-Layton). The revision, made Thursday night, allows schools to display historical flags, including Nazi and Confederate flags, if they are part of a school district or charter school’s approved educational curriculum.
Amendments to HB77
The updated HB77 now states that “a historic version of a flag” may be displayed if it aligns with an educational curriculum approved by the local education authority’s governing board. It defines a flag as “a usually rectangular piece of fabric” with a symbolic design and specifies that displaying a flag means placing it in a prominent, easily visible location on government property.
While the bill still outlaws flags not listed as exemptions, it permits the Utah and U.S. flags, military flags, flags of other countries or Native American tribes, and official college and university flags. The amended version retains the original bill’s restrictions on Pride flags, a key focus of Lee’s legislative push, as he has repeatedly touted on social media platform X.
Backlash Over ‘Nazi and Confederate Flags’ Comments
The amendment follows a heated House Education Committee hearing on Thursday, where Rep. Lee explicitly confirmed that the bill would allow teachers to display Nazi and Confederate flags in classrooms under certain conditions.
“There are instances where in classrooms, you have curriculum that is needed to use flags such as World War II, Civil War,” Lee stated during the hearing. “You may have a Nazi flag. You may have a Confederate flag, and so you are allowed to display those flags for the purpose of those lesson plans if it’s part of the curriculum, and that is okay.”
However, in an interview later that night, Lee denied ever stating that Nazi flags could be “displayed” in a classroom. He also expressed frustration over The Salt Lake Tribune’s reporting of his testimony. “There is a difference between displaying flags in curriculum when you’re teaching on them,” Lee insisted before abruptly hanging up the phone when pressed further.
Lee’s Response and Pushback
By Friday morning, Lee’s only comment on the bill’s amendment was aimed at media coverage rather than the legislation itself. He texted The Salt Lake Tribune, demanding that the outlet “redact your ridiculous headline”, and accused it of “sowing divide and spreading hate to the general public.”
Despite the outcry, HB77 continues to advance. The House Education Committee passed the latest version of the bill on Thursday, moving it one step closer to becoming law. The measure remains under scrutiny for its contradictory stance—explicitly banning Pride flags while permitting Nazi and Confederate flags under educational exceptions. Critics argue that the bill is a thinly veiled attack on LGBTQ+ representation in schools, while providing loopholes for displaying symbols of oppression and hate under the guise of education.
As the bill heads to the full Utah House of Representatives, the debate over what flags belong in classrooms—and what messages they send to students—is far from over.