Two Clark County School Board Trustees Sue District Over Conduct Policies Invoked After Social Media Post

What happened

Two Clark County School District trustees have taken a free speech dispute with their own board to court, the Las Vegas Sun reported. Lorena Biassotti and Lydia Domínguez filed a lawsuit Monday in Clark County District Court against the district, the board of trustees and board President Emily Stevens. The suit came more than two months after the pair said they planned to sue.

The lawsuit argues that the board's conduct policies violate the trustees' free speech rights under the First Amendment. According to the Sun, the district declined to comment on the suit Tuesday. More district news is collected in our schools coverage.

The policies at issue

According to the Sun, the policies say trustees should avoid posting opinions on social media about socially or politically sensitive topics that could be seen as coming from the district or the full board. They also say that once the full board makes a decision, members should not publicly criticize the board or individual trustees over that decision.

The policy itself frames reminders as steps in a progressive response process meant to remind trustees of the rules, the Sun reported. Under the policy, a public admonishment would not come until after a public reminder.

How the dispute began

The August post

The dispute traces to a post Biassotti made on X after the board's Aug. 13 meeting, the Sun reported. The post showed her with Domínguez in front of a large district logo, with Biassotti wearing a shirt with a design reading "XX-XY." The text of the post called for protecting girls' sports from gender confusion.

The design is the logo of XX-XY Athletics, a group that describes itself as working to protect women's sports and spaces. Biassotti said the shirt reflected her religious beliefs.

The Aug. 27 reminder

At the board's Aug. 27 meeting, Stevens publicly reminded Biassotti of the social media policy. Stevens said she had already spoken with her privately about it. According to the Sun, Stevens said she was not telling any trustee what they could or could not say. She said the agenda item was meant as a reminder that the board had agreed to hold itself to a higher standard focused on governance.

When Biassotti pressed Stevens on what was inappropriate about the post, Stevens pointed to other district policies. Those policies cover safe and respectful learning environments, bullying, discrimination, and the rights and needs of students with diverse gender identities or expressions. Biassotti responded that she had a right to express her views. Domínguez objected that the reminder did not belong on a regular meeting agenda.

What the lawsuit claims

Speech and discipline

The suit treats both the private and public reminders as disciplinary measures. It argues that the reminders, and the policy behind them, restrict free speech. It also says Stevens removed Biassotti from a position on the board because of the controversy over the shirt and the social media post. According to the suit, Domínguez owns the same shirt but does not wear it for fear of retaliation from the board and the district.

Religious freedom and open meetings

Biassotti also argues the policies were applied to her shirt and post because of her views, which she says violated her religious freedom. She further argues that she did not receive proper notice of the proceeding under Nevada's Open Meeting Law, the Sun reported. The lawsuit notes that both trustees campaigned openly on conservative views. It says several constituents who spoke at the Aug. 27 meeting said the two were elected precisely because of those views.

Both are first-term trustees elected in 2024. They belonged to the Clark County chapter of Moms for Liberty, which Biassotti helped found, until leaving for personal reasons during the 2024 campaign. Both have since voiced continued support for the group's conservative ideals.

What the trustees are asking for

The suit asks the court to declare that the policies violate trustees' free speech rights under the U.S. and Nevada constitutions and to bar the district from enforcing them. It also asks the court to strike references to the Aug. 27 proceeding from board records and to restore Biassotti's board position. The trustees are also seeking damages and attorney fees.

What to watch next

• How Clark County District Court rules on whether the board's conduct policies violate free speech rights under the U.S. and Nevada constitutions.
• Whether the court bars the district from enforcing the policies, removes references to the Aug. 27 proceeding from board records and restores Biassotti's board position.
• The district's response to the lawsuit, after it declined to comment Tuesday.
• The court's handling of the trustees' request for damages and attorney fees.