WASHINGTON — A Republican legislator from Maine has turned to the U.S. Supreme Court following her censure by the state House due to a social media post she made regarding a transgender athlete. This situation emerges during a contentious period between the Democrat-led state and the Trump administration over this issue.
Representative Laurel Libby claims that her censure has effectively silenced her in the legislative assembly, preventing her from voting or participating in discussions. As a result, Libby contends, her constituents are left without a voice in legislative matters.
In response, Libby has requested that the Supreme Court issue an order to ensure her legislative votes are counted as her legal battle proceeds. Her censure was initiated after she posted about a student’s victory in a girls’ track event. The post highlighted the student’s past participation in boys’ track, shared a photo, and mentioned the student by first name in quotes.
Libby’s post went viral, igniting a clash in the public domain that drew attention due to an ensuing disagreement between President Donald Trump and Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills. Subsequently, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit, accusing the state of non-compliance with federal efforts to prohibit transgender athletes.
Maine’s Democratic House Speaker, Ryan Fecteau, charged Libby with breaching the legislative ethics code, leading to the Maine House of Representatives censuring her earlier in February. Libby has filed a lawsuit arguing that the censure infringes upon her free speech rights. However, a federal judge ruled that the penalty did not reach a level of severity that would justify court intervention in the legislative process.