A Portland, Oregon, mother has filed a federal lawsuit against Portland Public Schools after she was barred from school property following her objections to curriculum and school policies involving gender identity, as reported by The New York Post.
Allison Roberts filed the lawsuit Wednesday against the school district and her child’s elementary school, according to the Liberty Justice Center, which is representing her in the case.
The dispute began last year at Meriwether Lewis Elementary School, where Roberts said she objected to the school replacing its traditional rainbow pride flag with an “Intersex-Inclusive Progress” version.
A Portland mother is suing after she was banned from school events for objecting to an identity flower assignment that forced her 11 year old child to identify and discuss their gender identity with classmates and teachers.
Allison Roberts also opposed the schools decision to… pic.twitter.com/NpQBoaqtyL— sandym (@Sandy1Texas) August 17, 2026
According to the Liberty Justice Center, Roberts believed the revised flag promoted political and ideological views that conflicted with her Christian faith.
Roberts said she supports “being immersed” in Portland’s gay community but objected to the inclusion of transgender-related messaging in the revised flag.
Her concerns expanded after she learned about an assignment given to her 11-year-old child called an “identity flower.”
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According to the lawsuit, the assignment asked students to identify and discuss their gender identity with classmates and teachers.
Roberts said she was not given advance notice of the assignment. She subsequently sought a meeting with the school’s principal to discuss her concerns.
After what she considered an unsatisfactory response from school officials, Roberts wrote an open letter criticizing the school’s policies. She distributed the letter on a public sidewalk outside school property.
The situation later escalated following a heated exchange between Roberts and another parent. Roberts was subsequently issued a one-year trespass order that barred her from attending school events.
The order meant Roberts could not attend her child’s graduation ceremony.
When Roberts contacted the school seeking an explanation, she was reportedly told that the restrictions were connected to allegations of “harassment, intimidation, and threatening behavior.”
School officials also described the alleged conduct as part of a pattern of “animus and harassment targeting vulnerable members of [the] community.”
Roberts disputes the characterization of her conduct and contends that the school retaliated against her because of her criticism of its policies.
The Liberty Justice Center argues that Portland Public Schools violated Roberts’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by restricting her speech and retaliating against her for criticizing school policies.
The organization is asking a federal court to declare the actions against Roberts unconstitutional and to issue an injunction addressing the policies at issue.
The case also challenges the school district’s harassment policy. Timothy R. Snowball, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, said the organization intends to seek a preliminary injunction while the lawsuit proceeds.
“Our next step in the case will be filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to put a stop to these unconstitutional policies while the case moves forward. This motion will help protect not only Allison’s rights, but all affected families in Portland,” Snowball said.
The requested injunction would seek to prevent Roberts from facing further restrictions under the policies while the court considers the broader constitutional claims.
Portland Public Schools declined to comment to Fox News Digital about the pending litigation.
Roberts said she has received support from people in Portland as well as parents and grandparents elsewhere in the country.
“It has been heartening to see the outpouring of support from my local Portland community, and from parents and grandparents across the country,” she said.
“I never wanted things to get to this point. But knowing that I’m fighting this battle not just for my family, but for millions of American families, reassures me that bringing this suit is the right thing to do.”
The lawsuit now moves into federal court proceedings, where Roberts’ claims and the school district’s actions will be examined.
The dispute raises questions over how public schools handle controversial curriculum, parental objections, and speech by parents criticizing school policies.
For Roberts, the immediate dispute began with a school assignment and concerns over a flag.
It ultimately resulted in a one-year exclusion from school property and prevented her from attending an important milestone in her child’s education.
The Liberty Justice Center says its broader goal is to ensure that other Portland families do not face similar restrictions for challenging school policies.
Roberts is seeking relief through the federal courts, while Portland Public Schools has not publicly commented on the allegations because the case remains pending.
