In response, Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat, asked Libby to remove the post due to concerns “that publicizing the student’s identity would threaten the student’s health and safety.” When Libby refused, a majority of the state house passed a resolution censuring Libby — that resolution reiterated Fecteau’s concern that shining such a spotlight on a high school student “may endanger the minor.” It also highlighted a study showing that “transgender people are over four times more likely to be victims of violence.” A federal district judge denied relief to Libby on the grounds that the legislature’s decision to sanction her is protected by “legislative immunity.” An appeals court issued a brief decision denying Libby an emergency order immediately reinstating her voting rights, but the case remains pending before that court. As the Court said in Powell v. McCormack (1969), it is intended to ensure that “legislators are free to represent the interests of their constituents without fear that they will be later called to task in the courts for that representation.”
Author: Ian Millhiser
Published at: 2025-05-05 21:07:13
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