AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday to censure a Republican who posted photos on social media of what she described as a transgender high school athlete who won a track and field competition last week.
After a debate peppered with interruptions and objections from both sides, the House voted 75-70 to issue a formal reprimand to Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn).
Last week, Libby posted two photos on Facebook that she says shows a Greely High School teenager who competed in a pole vault competition as a boy one year and as a girl the next.
“This is outrageous and unfair to the many female athletes who work every day to succeed in their respective sports,” Libby wrote, adding that she wants Maine to comply with a federal executive order on transgender athletes.
The post drew outrage from many who criticized Libby for using photos of a minor to make a political point. During debate on Tuesday, Libby remained defiant, saying that people are upset because she “exposed truth” about a transgender student participating in high school sports.
“Now people are mad that indeed after being told this is not happening and it doesn’t matter that there are boys participating in girls’ sports,” she said. “Boys taking the place of girls.”
After the vote, House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) called Libby to the well of the House and urged her to keep kids out of the political fray. He gave her a chance to issue a public apology, but Libby said she does not intend to apologize.
“There is a time and place for policy debates,” Fecteau said. “That time and place will never be a social media post attacking a Maine student.”
Fecteau warned her that until she apologizes, she will not be permitted to speak or cast votes on the House floor.
Democrats said Libby put the student in jeopardy of physical harm by posting their image without their consent. Rep. Melanie Sachs (D-Freeport) called Libby’s actions “reprehensible.”
“This body should not disagree that targeting minors, doxing children is wrong, plain and simple,” she said.
The issue of transgender students in sports gained traction over the weekend when President Donald Trump singled out Gov. Janet Mills, asking her during a meeting with governors if she planned to comply with a Feb. 5 executive order.
The order says Trump will pull funds from educational programs that “deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” and more generally, states that the policy of the U.S. is to “oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports.”
After a brief back and forth, Mills said she would follow state and federal laws, telling the president “See you in court.”
The censure order passed Tuesday evening says that Libby violated the Legislative Code of Ethics that calls for members to “pursue the highest standards of legislative conduct inside and outside of the State House.”
Some of the Republicans who spoke disagreed with Libby’s post but said they were concerned about setting a precedent of policing social media posts.
“I think my colleagues’ actions were cruel, callous and reprehensible,” said Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland). “I have concerns about regulating members conduct on social media.”
