(Tampa Free Press)—The Liberty Justice Center has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon on behalf of Dr. Eric Cubin, a radiologist who was forced to resign from the state’s medical board after privately supporting Senate File 99, also known as “Chloe’s Law.”
In February, Dr. Cubin wrote a letter as a private citizen to the Wyoming House of Representatives in support of the proposed bill, which sought to prohibit gender reassignment surgeries and hormone therapy for minors. The bill garnered strong support and was signed into law by Governor Gordon on March 22.
However, a month later, Governor Gordon forced Dr. Cubin to resign from his position on the Wyoming Board of Medicine, citing the letter as the reason for his removal.
The Liberty Justice Center has filed a lawsuit on Dr. Cubin’s behalf, arguing that the Governor’s actions amounted to illegal retaliation and violated Dr. Cubin’s First Amendment rights, including his right to free speech and to petition the government.
The motion filed today requests the court to grant a preliminary injunction that would restore Dr. Cubin to his position on the Wyoming Board of Medicine.
“Governor Gordon violated Dr. Cubin’s First Amendment rights by forcing him to resign from the board as punishment for exercising his right to free speech,” said Buck Dougherty, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “We urge the court to uphold Dr. Cubin’s constitutional rights and restore him to his position.”
“What Governor Gordon did to Dr. Cubin has become a major grassroots issue in Wyoming. People are tired of political elites of all stripes abusing their authority. The level of support we’ve seen for Dr. Cubin has been unparalleled,” said David Scheurn, Director of Grassroots and Coalition Development at Honor Wyoming. “We are honored to be hand-delivering over 5,300 petitions by Wyoming residents asking Governor Gordon to reinstate Dr. Cubin. I think this reaction is a real testament to the character of this state and to its citizens’ refusal to be bullied by elected leaders.”
The lawsuit, Cubin v. Gordon, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, Cheyenne Division, on August 29, 2024. Local counsel for the case is Cheyenne-based attorney D. Stephen Melchior.