The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Maine State Rep. Laurel Libby, a Republican who lost her voting rights in the state legislature earlier this year after publishing a social media post about a trans-identifying athlete.
The 7-2 decision from the nation’s highest court allows Libby to resume her legislative duties without issuing an apology.
Libby’s appeal centered on her right to free speech after Democrats in Maine’s House of Representatives invoked a legislative rule to strip her of both her voting and debating privileges.
The dispute began when Libby posted a side-by-side photo of a biologically male athlete competing first in boys’ track and field and then in girls’ events a year later, according to The Blaze.
“The Maine Principals’ Association’s blatant disregard for federal rules means that deserving, BIOLOGICAL girls, have titles ripped away from them,” Libby wrote in the post that sparked the controversy.
“This is outrageous, and unfair to the many female athletes who work every single day to succeed in their respective sports.”
Libby pointed out in the post that the athlete had placed fifth in the boys’ pole vaulting competition before joining the girls’ team and contributing to a state championship victory.
Lawmakers opposing Libby demanded she issue an apology to the athlete before being allowed to return to the House floor.
Instead of apologizing, Libby filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, the court sided with her, granting her request and effectively restoring her rights in the legislature. The majority did not issue a written opinion.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.
Justice Jackson expressed concern about the use of the court’s emergency docket, writing in her dissent that “this approach risks inviting further abuse of the court’s emergency docket.”
She argued that granting the request would encourage misuse of the process going forward.
Libby praised the ruling, calling it a constitutional victory.
“This is a victory not just for my constituents, but for the Constitution itself. 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 said.
Support for Libby also came from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a civil liberties group focused on free speech.
“FIRE supports Rep. Laurel Libby’s appeal of her censure by the Maine Legislature, which prevents her from voting or speaking on the floor of the state’s House of Representatives,” the group said, per The Blaze.
“Maine’s Democratic majority banned Rep. Libby from the floor because they didn’t like her First Amendment-protected social media post on trans teens in female sports — a matter of intense public debate.”
The case added fuel to an ongoing national debate.
In March, President Donald Trump publicly addressed the issue during a dispute with Maine Gov. Janet Mills, urging the state to comply with his executive order barring trans-identifying athletes from girls’ sports.
“You better comply — because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding,” Trump said. Mills responded, “I’ll see you in court.” Trump replied, “Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one.”
