Court rules against Republican lawmaker in lawsuit over censure for post about transgender athlete

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A federal court has ruled against a Republican lawmaker from Maine who sued the state’s Democratic House speaker after being censured for a social media post about a transgender athlete.

Rep. Laurel Libby posted about a high school athlete who won a girls' track competition. Libby included a photo of the student and identified them by first name, with the name in quotation marks, saying they previously competed in boys’ track.

Libby’s post subsequently went viral and preceded a public disagreement between President Donald Trump and Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills.

Democratic House Speaker Ryan Fecteau accused Libby of violating the state's legislative ethics code with the post, and the Maine House of Representatives censured her in February.

Libby filed a federal lawsuit against Fecteau in March, arguing the censure violated her right to free speech.

U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose on Friday ruled against Libby's request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the sanction.

DuBose said the imposition of the sanction “is not of such extraordinary character as to obliterate the formidable shield the courts have provided to legislative acts.”

Libby said in a statement Friday that she was disappointed in the decision and would appeal the ruling.

“The courts must stand up to this abuse of power, which contradicts the very rationale for representative democracy,” Libby said.

She stated in her lawsuit that the censure stripped her right to speak and vote on the House floor, and said Friday it is tantamount to disenfranchising thousands of Maine residents.

A spokesperson for Fecteau declined to comment.

Maine and the federal government have been sparring over the participation of transgender students in sports since Libby's post, and the Trump administration sued the state on Wednesday.