Maine State Representative Laurel Libby (R) has taken legal action after being censured for comments she made about transgender athletes in girls’ sports. In this case, which Reclaim The Net has been covering, she contends that her right to free speech has been infringed upon and that her constituents are being denied proper representation.
We obtained a copy of the lawsuit for you here.
Libby announced that she and her supporters have filed a lawsuit in federal district court, challenging what she describes as an unjust silencing of her voice. “The Speaker’s made it clear he’s not willing to be reasonable, and it is absolutely not acceptable for my 9,000 constituents to be disenfranchised and not have a voice and a vote in the Maine House,” she stated to Breitbart, stressing the significance of the issue.
She pointed out that such disciplinary action is rare in the state’s legislative history. “This is only the fourth censure ever, and the previous three all dealt with decorum within the State House. It is unprecedented for a legislator to be punished over a free speech matter,” Libby emphasized.
Libby argued that her remarks were made in a personal capacity, outside of her official duties. “It didn’t happen in the State House. It was on my own time, in my own home. I was sharing my opinion on a policy issue, and this censure is nothing more than political retaliation,” she claimed, asserting that her stance on transgender athletes in female sports is what led to the disciplinary action.
During a conversation with host Mike Slater, he read aloud the social media post that led to her censure. “Another day, another instance of an unremarkable biological male athlete… who couldn’t win against other males dominating girls’ sports,” the post read. Slater pointed out that critics argue that censure is not about free speech but about her choice to publicly identify a minor athlete.
“Now, you took out the faces of the other people on the podium, but here you doxed a minor—that’s what you’re getting censured for, not the topic,” Slater noted, presenting the counterargument.
Libby dismissed that claim, calling it a distraction from the broader discussion. “That’s what they say, but it’s a red herring. This individual chose to compete publicly, and images from the event were already widely available. My post was not unique in that regard,” she said, maintaining that the real issue is fairness in sports.
She continued to press her point, arguing that the participation of transgender athletes is disadvantaging female competitors. “Biological males are taking opportunities away from female athletes in Maine. These young women are being pushed aside, and their victories are being taken from them,” she contended. “Democrats don’t want to have this conversation, but it’s one we need to have.”
Regarding her lawsuit, Libby explained that the defendants have 21 days to respond. “The censure violates my First Amendment rights, as well as the equal protection, due process, and guarantee clauses of the US Constitution. My constituents and I are standing firm on this,” she said, emphasizing that she will not back down.
“The fact remains: biological males are replacing female athletes in Maine, and that is unacceptable,” Libby concluded, vowing to continue her legal fight.
