Supreme Court upholds Maine Rep. Laurel Libby and orders the overturning of her censure for posting about a trans athlete

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday to lift the sanction imposed on Republican lawmaker Laurel Libby by the Maine House of Representatives. With seven votes in favor and two against, the top court concluded that Libby's right to express herself freely as an elected official is "indisputably clear."

The Maine House of Representatives had punished Libby in February after she posted on social media the name and an image of a transgender high school athlete who won a women's pole vault competition. As punishment, she was banned from participating in legislative debates or voting on the floor until she offered a public apology, which she flatly refused.

Origin of the censure

House Speaker Ryan Fecteau prompted the measure, arguing that the publication compromised the safety of the minor and violated an unwritten rule of local politics that seeks to keep young people out of partisan debate. Libby refused to remove the content and to apologize, a condition imposed to lift the sanction.

Libby celebrates decision

Libby celebrated the ruling in a post on X, noting that the decision represents a personal triumph and a precedent for lawmakers' freedom of speech. "The Supreme Court has affirmed what should NEVER have been in question — that no state legislature has the power to silence an elected official simply for speaking truthfully about issues that matter," she wrote.

During her censorship, Libby defended that her post did not reveal new information since the athlete's identity had already been disseminated by other media. In addition, she assured that she had not received any direct complaints from the minor's family or the school.

The judicial path

After refusing to apologize, Libby filed a lawsuit that was dismissed in the first instance by a federal court in Rhode Island and then by the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Finally, the case reached the Supreme Court in April.

During the court proceedings, Libby had the backing of the Department of Justice and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who filed an amicus brief in his defense. "The Department of Justice is proud to fight for girls in Maine and stand alongside Rep. Libby, who is being attacked simply for defending girls in her home state," Bondi said.