Select Board tables Pride‑flag request pending adoption of a written flag policy

The Groveland Democratic Town Committee asked the Select Board June 22 to authorize the annual raising of a Pride flag at Town Hall during the month of June; the committee offered to purchase the flag. The board discussed past informal conversations about flying other flags and concerns stemming from the Shurtleff Supreme Court decision, which holds that accepting third‑party flags can create a public forum that compels acceptance of other requests.

Staff advised that without an adopted municipal flag policy — one that lists allowed flags, flagpole locations and procedures for requests and prioritization — approving a single outside group’s request could expose the town to compelled requests under the First Amendment. Select Board members asked staff to draft a clear flag policy for board consideration that would enumerate approved flags and define limitations (for example, limiting non‑government flags to specific times or locations). The board voted to table the Pride‑flag request and asked staff to prepare a proposed policy for the July meeting.