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WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL) has secured a major victory for a former teacher and school board candidate in Mesa, Arizona, who was sued for defamation after speaking out against radical gender ideology indoctrination in a third-grade classroom.
AFL’s client, Sharon Benson, raised concerns about a teacher who appeared on a podcast discussing how she promoted LGBT ideology in her third-grade classroom, including “creating a safe classroom environment for ... LGBTQ students,” teaching students about pronoun usage, and displaying LGBT flags. Benson reposted several articles about the teacher on social media and expressed concern about the teacher’s activities to the Mesa Public Schools Board.
The teacher sued Benson and others for defamation, claiming that these criticisms had caused “emotional distress, pain and suffering,” and harm. Notably, the lawsuit was filed while Benson was a candidate for the school board, raising concerns that the legal action was a targeted, politically motivated effort to silence her public opposition to gender ideology indoctrination. Notwithstanding this litigation, Benson went on to win her race.
AFL moved to dismiss the teacher’s claims against Benson, arguing that they were baseless. The court agreed, finding that “none of [Benson’s] alleged statements could be found defamatory.”
This case is part of a troubling nationwide trend in which ideological activists seek to control public debate by silencing their opponents through defamation suits. AFL was proud to represent Ms. Benson, and remains committed to defending free speech and protecting every American’s right to speak out on critical issues without fear of baseless, punitive litigation.
“This victory sends an unmistakable message: America First Legal will never back down in the face of intimidation by radical activists,” said James Rogers, Senior Counsel at America First Legal. “We are steadfast in defending parents, community leaders, and courageous citizens from those who seek to silence them for telling the truth. We will continue fighting to stop the trans agenda from trampling on free speech or controlling our schools.”
Read the court’s order here.
Read more about the case here.
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