Education Department Official Displays Controversial Insurrection Flag

The banner was spotted outside the Washington, D.C. office of Murray Bessette, who serves as the principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. While the flag originated as a Revolutionary War-era naval ensign, it has been repurposed over the last decade by the New Apostolic Reformation, a movement advocating for Christian supremacy.

Rachel Gittleman, president of the department’s union, stated that the agency has no place for symbols carried by those who stormed the Capitol. She noted that staff members, already facing increased pressure and harassment, are now forced to work in an environment featuring a banner widely viewed as a signal of intolerance and extremism. The display follows similar instances of the flag appearing within government spaces during the second Trump presidency, including a brief appearance at the Small Business Administration earlier this year.