LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Two Clark County School District trustees filed a lawsuit Monday against the district, its Board of Trustees, and Board President Emily Stevens, claiming the board’s conduct and social media policies violate First Amendment rights.
Trustees Lorena Biassotti of District E and Lydia Dominguez of District B filed the complaint Nov. 9 in district court. The lawsuit seeks to strike down governance policies the complaint says violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
The legal battle stems from an Aug. 13 board meeting where Biassotti wore an “XX-XY” T-shirt from XX-XY Athletics, a brand that says its goal is to protect women’s sports and spaces. Biassotti also posted a photo on X with Dominguez with the caption, “Truth is not hate. Protect women’s sports from gender confusion.”
According to the lawsuit, Biassotti says the shirt reflects her religious belief.
The shirt and social media post sparked divided public opinion across the valley, drawing community members, educators, and advocates to weigh in during public comment at an August CCSD meeting.
Supporters defended Biassotti’s right to wear the shirt.
Retired CCSD special education teacher Laura Harvey backed Biassotti, telling the board the message on the shirt is “not Christian, it’s biological.”
“It’s not a Christian thing,” Harvey said. “It’s a biological thing. Okay? You are focusing on everything but reading, writing, and arithmetic. We’re 46th in the nation out of 50. 2 + 2 is not five. It never will be.”
Opponents at the meeting pushed back, criticizing the shirt as harmful to students and out of line with school standards.
A Las Vegas teacher, Jill Glass, said, “If you’re not for all children, you shouldn’t be here.”
“I’ve had trans students in my class almost every year that I’ve taught,” Glass said. “I’ve also always been so inspired and admired their courage and the character that it takes to live so authentically in such times… That’s who I’m here to protect.”
On Aug. 19, the lawsuit says Board President Stevens removed Biassotti as CCSD’s representative to the Council of the Great City Schools. In an email included in the court filing, Stevens confirmed in writing, “To clarify – the removal was for violation of board policies.”
At an Aug. 27 meeting, trustees discussed against creating a board dress code. According to an agenda provided in the complaint, Biassotti was on the agenda and was formally reminded in public about board social media policies.
Biassotti also alleges the district violated Nevada’s Open Meeting Law by placing her alleged misconduct on the Aug. 27 agenda without giving mandatory advance written notice.
According to the lawsuit, Dominguez joined the lawsuit after being “rebuked” by Stevens at the Aug. 27 meeting when she objected to the agenda item. The lawsuit says Dominguez owns the same “XX-XY” shirt and shares Biassotti’s views, but is self-censoring on social media and in media interviews to avoid facing the same discipline process.
The complaint says the Board approved a notice of intent to adopt 22 governance policies. Passed in a 4–2 vote in April 2026, Governance Policies GP-2 and GP-3 prohibit trustees from:
- Making “negative remarks” about the district, staff, other trustees, or board decisions on personal social media or in media interviews.
- Posting about educational topics that “may end up being considered” by the board—a rule the lawsuit argues effectively prevents school trustees from talking about schools.
- Commenting on recent district hires or resignations.
According to the complaint, five weeks before the policies were approved, a CCSD attorney warned trustees on the record during a March 30 retreat that the social media rules would not hold up in court: “because that trustee has First Amendment rights,” and CCSD is “not going to court on this, because [CCSD] is not going to win[.]”
Biassotti and Dominguez are asking a judge for an injunction blocking the speech rules, the removal of the Aug. 27 reprimand from board records, Biassotti’s reinstatement to the Council of the Great City Schools, and emotional distress and compensatory damages along with legal fees.
FOX5 has reached out to CCSD for comment, but in the past, CCSD has not commented on pending litigation.
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