by ZACH LAIRD, InDepthNH.org
March 2, 2026

CONCORD, NH — The House Education Policy and Administration Committee voted 10-8 to recommend passing House Bill 1132 with an amendment during its Monday meeting, which seeks to prohibit the display of certain flags in public and charter schools.

The bill would prohibit the schools from displaying any flag inside or outside of school buildings other than the American flag, the New Hampshire State Flag, and the POW/MIA flag. Other flags exempt from this rule include ones used for instruction in foreign languages, geography, and history classes, flags that represent the branches of the military, or an official city or town flag located in the state.

Prime sponsor of the bill Rep. Lisa M. Freeman, R-Tilton, said the amendment includes the words “banners” and “school sports teams,” adding that the flags of major league sports teams are also prohibited.

Freeman added that the bill “just merely allows public and public charter schools to be neutral,” and welcoming communities for all students, staff, and visitors. She said the bill levels the educational playing field and brings down any barriers to inadequate education.

Rep. Loren Selig, D-Durham, said she opposed the bill because it impacts free speech and violates the first amendment.

“I think there are educational purposes to all flags… I certainly don’t want to see swastikas in schools, but if it’s part of a unit where people are learning about the impact of World War II and we need to display it so people know what it is (and) what its origin is, then there should be an educational purpose to it,” Selig said.

Rep. Steven L. Woodcock, D-Center Conway, noted school systems throughout the state have students from different backgrounds, and asked Freeman if the bill allows them to display their country’s flag in their schools.

Freeman responded that if the flags were used as instructional material that they would be allowed.

“I think many different kinds of banners and flags make a statement to whoever enters the space… And it saddens me greatly to think that we wouldn’t want to provide that sense of ‘welcome,’ and ‘safety,’” Rep. Hope Damon, D-Sunapee, said.

Rep. Melissa Litchfield, R-Brentwood, said that in her children's school, she pays money for them to attend because “there’s zero activism or anything political, there are zero flags anywhere in any of the hallways, or any in the lunchroom. It does not belong.”

A violation of the legislation would result in a formal complaint issued to the school superintendent, who must determine the complaint’s validity within five days. If it’s found that the complaint constitutes a violation, the superintendent may order the immediate removal of the flag from school premises. A warning will also be issued to the perpetrator.

In the instance of a second violation, the superintendent and local school board or governing body of a public charter school can determine and issue a disciplinary action against the perpetrator. A third and subsequent violation of the proposal would see the superintendent report the violation to the state board of education, which has the authority to issue monetary penalties not exceeding $1,000 per violation.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.