N. Idaho woman sues Kootenai County sheriff, Republican committee chair over 2025 town hall removal

Añadido: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]First up tonight, a North Idaho woman is suing the Kootenai County Sheriff alleging that her constitutional rights were violated. This is video of that incident in question. The video went viral. It happened back in February of last year at a town hall meeting hosted by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. You can see Teresa Born Paul being physically removed from that meeting. Krem 2's Caitlin Galloway read through the lawsuit today and joins us now to break it down.

[00:00:30]Teresa Born Paul has filed a federal lawsuit against Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris, among others, claiming her constitutional rights were violated at a town hall. Born Paul is suing Norris, Kootenai County Republican Central Committee Chairman Brent Regan, and the owner and several employees of Lear Asset Management, the private security company that removed Born Paul from the town hall at Coeur d'Alene High School.

[00:00:54]The complaint says that because the event was advertised publicly and there was no sign-up sheet or tickets required for entry, it qualifies as a public forum and therefore her First Amendment rights were violated as well as her Fourth and 14th Amendment rights when she was forcibly removed from her seat and dragged out of the auditorium. Born Paul claims she sustained a physical injury and emotional distress. Her friends who were with her at the town hall say this case is significant in protecting the rights of everyone to speak up for what they believe in. We all have the right to again dissent or approve of what's happening within our government. And so I for me, even if someone is say making comments that I do not agree with, they have the right to do that and I will support them in doing that because that is, you know, part of the basis of our our country. Born Paul's attorney said in a statement, quote, "The complaint alleges that Ms. Born Paul was unlawfully silenced and subjected to unnecessary force at a public event. She's seeking accountability for those actions.

[00:01:59]Leavitt Asset Management responded to the lawsuit in a statement of their own saying they're confident another jury will see the merit of what we did.

[00:02:06]Chairman Brent Regan declined to comment on the lawsuit. The Sheriff's Office says they do not have a comment on the situation at this time. In Kootenai County, Caitlin Galloway, Crime 2 News.