Less than two weeks after Maine Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, posted the photo on Facebook, the Maine House of Representatives voted 75-70 to censure her for posting the photo of the minor, meaning she can no longer speak or vote in the Legislature until she apologizes.
The post included photos of the male athlete from both a boys pole vault competition a couple of years ago and the girls pole vault championship this year. “Two years ago, John tied for 5th place in boys pole vault,” Libby said in the post. “Tonight, ‘Katie’ won 1st place in the girls Maine State Class B Championship.” ...
Libby told The Daily Signal she will not apologize for the post. She filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat, for the censure, claiming it violates her First Amendment right of free speech as well as her equal protection rights and the guarantee clause of Article IV of the Constitution, which protects the basic rights of political participation within state governments.