A federal lawsuit by two former city officials against the city of Hamtramck, Michigan, over the city's ban on Pride flag displays on public property has been dismissed, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. 

The dispute over the flag dates back to July 2023, when Russ Gordon and Cathy Stackpoole placed a flag on a city flagpole at Joseph Campau Avenue. Gordan and Stackpoole, who resided in Hamtramck, were commissioners on the Hamtramck Human Relations Commission at the time.

The Hamtramck city manager and police took the flag down later that day.

In November 2023, Gordon and Stackpoole filed a lawsuit against city officials, including Mayor Amer Ghalib, claiming that they lost their jobs after raising the Pride flag on Joseph Campau Avenue.

The lawsuit claimed that the council's new resolution, voted on in June 2023, was unconstitutional and violated the commissioners' freedom of speech. The council voted unanimously to display only five flags, including the American flag, the Michigan flag and flags representing the native countries of immigrant residents. However, businesses and residents weren't prohibited from displaying a Pride flag on their own property. 

According to the lawsuit, the resolution rescinded a previous resolution that allowed the Pride flag to be displayed at the Joseph Campau Avenue flagpole.

More than 30 residents spoke at a city council meeting about the flag, with 19 voicing opposition to the new resolution, according to the lawsuit. Additionally, the city received 48 emails and letters about the issue, with 47 of those residents opposing the resolution.

Nearly two years after the lawsuit was filed, on Sept. 8, 2025, Judge David Lawson ruled to dismiss it with prejudice, meaning that the claim cannot be refiled.

CBS News Detroit contacted Gordon, Stackpoole and the city on Tuesday for comment.

Earlier this year, police investigated several incidents of alleged vandalism after residents said a person was seen removing Pride flags from residences. In that case, police said a suspect, who appeared to be a younger male or teen, walked up to a home and took the flag from the front porch. 

Police said that a person, believed to be the same suspect, attempted to take the flag two days prior but was unsuccessful.

The cases are under investigation.