An Idaho teacher who was told to remove an inclusive poster from her classroom has accused her former school of being ‘racist’ and violating her constitutional rights.
Sarah Inama, 36, has sued Lewis & Clark Middle School in Meridian for allegedly breaching her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by forcing her to take down a poster reading ‘everyone is welcome here’.
Her civil lawsuit levels the same accusations at the Idaho Board and Department of Education, West Ada School District, Superintendent Derek Bub, Lewis & Clark Middle School, and Principal Monty Hyde.
The ‘everyone is welcome here’ banner also depicted several raised hands of various skin colors, while another sign read: ‘In this room everyone is welcome, important, accepted, respected, encouraged, valued, equal.’
Inama, who taught social studies, hung several more posters around the room which were not complained about, including a world map, she claimed in a lawsuit seen by the Daily Mail.
In February 2025, Inama was told she had to remove the signs due to a law known as HB41, which limits political and ideological speech in school through the prohibition of certain flags and banners. HB41 was not signed into law until March 2025.
Principal Monty Hyde allegedly told her the posters ‘express an opinion that not everyone agrees with,’ the lawsuit said.
Inama responded saying she thought the directive was racist, and Principal Hyde said: ‘Yeah, I know, it’s a bummer’, according to the complaint.
Sarah Inama, 36, is suing her former school and school district and others for violating her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by forcing her to remove her inclusive signage
She was told by Superintendent Derek Bub that the multiple skin tones displayed in the poster shown above were a violation of HB41, which was signed into law in March 2025
Inama had a similar sign in her classroom that also had to be removed. She was told to remove the signs in February 2025
Hyde allegedly further explained that not everyone believes in the sign’s message and it violated HB41 due to the being a display of personal opinion.
After removing the signs, Inama said multiple children, including at least two students of color, approached her about the missing posters, and she didn’t know what to tell them.
Less than a week later, Inama put the signs back up, despite the directive. Days later, she was told she would be reported to the West Ada School District for insubordination.
During a meeting with the district, she was told the color of the hands on the poster was ‘crossing the political boundary’ and breaking the law.
West Ada Chief Academic Officer Marcus Myers told a local podcaster in March, after the bill was signed into law, that the only part of her sign that was an issue the multicolored hands.
The same message was reiterated to her by Superintendent Derek Bub in a later meeting at the school. She was pulled off the playground to attend the meeting despite her students’ concern, the complaint said.
Following news reports of the posters, the school received more than 1,200 emails in support of Inama. Students also organized protests and parents complained about the signs being taken down at school board meetings, the complaint said.
At the end of the school year, Inama resigned from her position as the school refused to change its position and she received a public lashing from Republican lawmakers, who disagreed with her signs.
Principal Monty Hyde reported her to the district for insubordination after she put the signs back up following student backlash
Bub (right, with Monty) pulled Inama from the playground to have the meeting with her, despite her students’ concern
She resigned at the end of the school year after backlash and the school’s refuse to change its opinion on the signs and is now suing
Now, the teacher is suing, saying the law is ‘unconstitutionally vague and overbroad in violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution as incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment…’
She is demanding a trial by jury and to recover the cost of her attorney fees.
The Daily Mail has contacted Principe Hyde, Superintendent Bub, the school and school district, the Idaho DOE, and Inama’s attorneys for comment.
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, Sarah Ingle, responded on Bub’s behalf, telling the Daily Mail in a statement: ‘Dr. Bub has no comment at this time.’