Maine Rep. Laurel Libby to appeal after federal judge upholds censure over transgender athlete

A federal judge ruled against a Maine state lawmaker who was censured by the state House for a viral post drawing attention to a male-born high school athlete who won a girls’ state track competition.

U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose on Friday denied a request for a preliminary injunction sought by Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby, finding that the disciplinary action was within the House’s authority.

The decision keeps in place the Feb. 25 censure, which prohibits Ms. Libby from speaking or voting on the House floor until she issues a public apology.

Ms. Libby, who had argued that the punishment violates her First Amendment rights, said she will appeal.

“While I’m disappointed by today’s decision, it doesn’t change the fact that [House Speaker] Ryan Fecteau and Maine Democrats abused their power in order to silence dissent, disenfranchise nearly 9,000 of my constituents, and suppress the voices they disagree with,” she said in a statement. “The legislature is not above the law, and certainly not above the Constitution.”

The Democrat-controlled House voted 75-70 to censure Ms. Libby over her Feb. 17 Facebook post, which showed side-by-side podium photos of the Greely High School athlete placing fifth last year in the boys’ pole vault and first this year in the girls’ pole vault at the Class B Indoor Track and Field Championship.

She identified the athlete in both photos, but only by first name.

Mr. Fecteau chastised Ms. Libby afterward for “using children to score political points.” The pole-vaulter is a minor.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Maine, but all six of the district’s judges recused themselves, sending the case to Judge DuBose, who sits on the federal bench in Rhode Island. Judge DuBose is a Biden appointee.

 Another day, another instance of an unremarkable biological male athlete (who couldn’t win against other males) dominating girls’ sports.

 pic.twitter.com/gIhY0AQ0yn

— Rep. Laurel Libby (@laurel_libby) February 18, 2025

Since the censure vote, Ms. Libby has become the face of the women’s sports resistance in Maine, siding with President Trump in his showdown with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills over male-born athletes competing in female sports based on gender identity.

Ms. Libby appeared with Attorney General Pam Bondi at a Wednesday press conference announcing a Justice Department lawsuit accusing the Maine Department of Education of violating Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in education.

Maine officials have defended allowing transgender athletes in female sports, citing the state’s Human Rights Act, which forbids discrimination based on gender identity.

Maine House Democrats doubled down this week by voting 74-69 to pass a proposed “Equality of Rights” amendment that would enshrine the ban on “gender identity” and “gender expression” in the state constitution.