Moms for Liberty seeks dismissal of Duval teacher’s lawsuit over social media complaint
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Moms for Liberty is asking a federal court to dismiss a Duval County teacher’s lawsuit, arguing the group had a constitutional right to report her public social media posts to school officials.
Liberty Counsel, which represents the nonprofit, announced Tuesday that it filed a motion to dismiss Hope McMath’s second amended complaint.
The dispute stems from an email the group’s Duval County chapter sent to Duval County Public Schools and the Florida Department of Education in 2025. The email included screenshots of posts that Liberty Counsel described as celebrating conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The chapter asked officials to review whether the posts met professional standards for public school employees.
According to Liberty Counsel, school officials had already begun investigating before the group sent its email. McMath was later placed on administrative leave and reassigned. The district closed its investigation with a verbal warning and coaching, the organization said.
McMath alleges the group’s communication caused professional and reputational harm. Her revised lawsuit claims Moms for Liberty improperly interfered with her employment and worked with government officials to retaliate against her for exercising her right to free speech, according to Liberty Counsel’s description of the complaint.
Liberty Counsel disputes those claims. Its attorneys argue the group shared truthful, publicly available information and asked officials to investigate. They maintain that school officials independently decided how to handle the investigation and discipline McMath.
The attorneys also argue the complaint provides no facts showing an agreement or conspiracy between Moms for Liberty and government officials.
According to Liberty Counsel, McMath dropped earlier claims after the court found them insufficient. The court gave her “one final opportunity to amend” the lawsuit, the organization said.
Liberty Counsel argues the case violates Florida’s law against lawsuits intended to intimidate or silence people for exercising their First Amendment rights. Its attorneys contend Moms for Liberty is entitled to recover attorney fees and costs.
Liberty Counsel founder and Chairman Mat Staver called the lawsuit meritless, saying the group should not be held responsible for decisions made by government officials.