Lawsuit Filed by Rep Laurel Libby in Maine Over Censure of Trans Athlete Battle

Maine State Rep. Laurel Libby has initiated legal action against Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau after receiving a censure on Feb. 15 related to her social media post concerning a trans high school athlete.

The lawsuit aims to reinstate Libby’s voting and speaking privileges. Maine House Clerk Robert Hunt is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Initially, Libby was informed that her rights would be reinstated if she issued an apology for the post. However, she declined to apologize.

The censure of Libby stemmed from a social media post in which she highlighted a high school trans athlete who triumphed in a girls’ pole vault competition. This post triggered a nationwide debate and discord between Democrat Maine Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump, resulting in federal agencies launching Title IX investigations against the state and school district where the athlete attended. 

A significant protest against Mills took place in Maine’s capital of Augusta. 

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The censure by Fecteau and Maine Democrats was based on the identification of a minor with a photo and by name in Libby’s post. Nonetheless, Libby and her legal representatives argue that the athlete had already been widely publicized in a positive context and was engaged in a public arena through a state-sponsored athletic event. 

“The championship was a public event, was streamed online, and the names, schools, and photographs of the winners were all posted publicly,” states a copy of the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital.

Libby serves more than 9,000 constituents in Maine’s House District 90, and six of them have joined the lawsuit as plaintiffs because the censure has hindered her ability to support other legislative initiatives for those constituents.

“The speaker’s actions did not just disenfranchise me but disenfranchised the thousands of constituents that I represent, and that’s the bigger picture here; the fact that the speaker, in his eyes, retaliated against me because he doesn’t like what I have to say,” Libby said.

Libby recently introduced a bill to enhance access to mental health resources for Maine residents, a measure she will now not be able to help advocate for. The Maine House will soon vote on the next biannual budget, and Libby will be unable to participate in that vote as well. 

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For Libby, the lawsuit is not only about restoring her rights for herself and her constituents. She also views it as a critical step in the national effort to address trans inclusion in women’s sports.

“Maine has, inexplicably, become the center of this debate, and, naturally, I want to have my voice back so I can contribute to that; and as we tackle this issue within the legislature, I hope that all the recent events can help alter the direction of the debate, so that not only Maine girls, but girls nationwide, have a fair, safe, and equitable playing field,” Libby said.

Libby also urged Fecteau to simply reinstate her rights to avoid going to court and potentially burdening Maine taxpayers with litigation costs. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Fecteau’s office for a response. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are investigating Maine for potential Title IX violations due to its refusal to adhere to Trump’s recent executive order prohibiting trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. 

HHS issued a notice of violation to the state of Maine on Feb. 25, stating that the state breached Title IX by permitting trans athletes to participate in girls’ sports. HHS subsequently broadened the investigation to include the Maine Principals Association and Greely High School. 

Libby’s disclosure about the trans athlete drew national attention to the state’s stance on trans inclusion after Maine declared that it would not comply with Trump’s executive order. Trump then threatened to cut funding to the state for defying his order.

Mills’ office reacted by warning of legal action against the Trump administration if it withheld federal funding from the state. Subsequently, Trump and Mills engaged in a heated argument at the White House during a bipartisan gathering of governors.

Shortly after that exchange, the U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation into the state for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports and possible Title IX violations. 

Police protection was assigned to Greely High School.

The controversy also spurred a protest against Mills called the “March Against Mills,” which occurred outside Maine’s State House on a Saturday morning. Numerous female athletes took the stage at the protest to voice their opposition to the Democrat governor.

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The following day, eight pro-trans activists protested outside Libby’s residence in disagreement with her viewpoints. They displayed signs that read “Shame on you Laurel 4 exploiting a child 4 your political gain” and “Protect trans youth,” according to the Maine Wire.

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