Yolo County just settled a lawsuit for $70,000 with the conservative group Moms for Liberty after the Davis library staff interrupted a forum discussing transgender women in sports, which led to bomb threats being made against the school.
Moms for Liberty
Yolo County settled a lawsuit with Moms for Liberty after an incident at a Davis library in August 2023 after their latest transphobic controversy during a “Forum on Fair and Safe Sport for Girls.”
Over a Year Ago
The forum, which took place on August 20, 2023, at the Mary L. Stephens Library branch in Davis, California, was meant to discuss the role of transgender women in women’s sports.
Leading the Forum
Some of the key participants in the event included Beth Bourne, president of the Yolo County Moms for Liberty chapter, and Sophia Lorey, outreach director at a conservative Christian advocacy group called the California Family Council.
Sparking Backlash
The speech was about as pro-trans rights as you might expect, with Sophia Lorey referring to trans women athletes as “men” and sparking backlash for the organization.
Achieving Dreams
Lorey said, “I simply acknowledged that men are playing in women’s sports, making it harder for girls to achieve their dreams.”
The Library Code of Conduct
Shortly after calling transgender women “biological men,” Lorey was asked to leave the stage by the library staff, who later stated that misgendering violated the library’s code of conduct.
The Respectful Treatment of Individuals
The library staff said their code of conduct mandates respectful treatment of individuals and, “We don’t want any transgender females being called male in sporting events with females.”
Not Being Respectful
Lorey continued to refer to trans women as “biological men,” and the branch manager eventually ended the presentation and asked her to leave because, “If you are misgendering somebody, that is not respectful.”
Bomb Threats
In an unexpected and yet somehow not surprising turn of events, the disruption of the forum led to bomb to a bomb threat being set against the library the day after the event.
Sharing Numbers
The bomb threat came after an anti-trans activist’s social media post shared the library’s phone number on their page.
Here Come the Lawsuits
In response to the librarian’s actions, the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Institute for Free Speech have now filed a lawsuit against the staff for violating the presenters’ First Amendment rights.
Speaking Freely
After filing the lawsuit, the presenter’s new representatives claimed, “The First Amendment requires that [they] allow plaintiffs to speak freely about the integrity of female athletics in library meeting rooms.”
Settling Out of Court
Instead of continuing the lawsuit, Yolo County agreed to a settlement with Moms for Liberty and the California Family Council for $70,000 in damages and legal fees.
Changing the Policy
Part of the settlement included Yolo County changing its policies so that staff are no longer allowed to interfere with presentations and are forced to listen to things they may not agree with in their workplace.
The Original Domino
After the settlement, Sophia Lorey, the outreach director at California Family Council and the original domino of this case, expressed her gratitude that the school would now respect free speech rights.
Sharing Views
Lorey said, “I am grateful that Yolo County has now agreed to respect the right of all Americans to share their views in public spaces without fear of being silenced or censored.”
Langhofer’s Criticism
Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, spoke out about the issue and criticized the fact that the event was initially shut down in the first place.
A Growing Trend
Langhofer said, “Shutting down discussions about biological differences between men and women is a growing trend among activists.”
Standing Strong
In response to the conservative supporter’s comments, library staff have continued to justify their opinion by citing California state law, which recognizes trans women as women.
The post Controversial Yolo County Forum Shutdown Sparks Bomb Threats and $70,000 Settlement first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Jacob Lund.
