Clark County School Board Trustees Sue District Over Speech-Restricting Policies Following 'XX-XY' Shirt Dispute

LAS VEGAS, NV — Two elected members of the Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees are taking their constitutional battle against the district’s governing leadership to court, alleging that internal conduct policies unlawfully censor their speech and religious beliefs.

Trustees Lorena Biassotti and Lydia Dominguez filed a civil lawsuit in Clark County District Court naming the Clark County School District, the Board of Trustees, and Board President Emily Stevens in her official capacity.

The complaint centers on Governance Policies GP-2 and GP-3, rules adopted by the board earlier this year that restrict trustees from making negative or disparaging public remarks about the district, fellow board members, or official board decisions.

The legal dispute stems from an August 13, 2026 board meeting where Biassotti wore an “XX-XY” Athletics T-shirt—a brand campaigning around biological sex distinctions in women’s sports—and subsequently shared related posts on social media.

Days later, on August 19, Stevens removed Biassotti from her post as CCSD’s representative to the Council of the Great City Schools, citing violations of board conduct policies.

At the subsequent August 27 board meeting, Biassotti was placed on the public agenda and formally reminded of board social media and conduct guidelines.

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|       CCSD BOARD FREE SPEECH LITIGATION DOSSIER        |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  - Court Venue: Clark County District Court, Nevada    |
|  - Plaintiffs: CCSD Trustees Lorena Biassotti &        |
|    Lydia Dominguez                                     |
|  - Defendants: Clark County School District (CCSD),    |
|    Board of Trustees & Board President Emily Stevens   |
|  - Contested Rules: Governance Policies GP-2 & GP-3    |
|  - Triggering Events: Aug. 13 "XX-XY" Shirt & Social   |
|    Media Post; Aug. 19 Committee Removal; Aug. 27      |
|    Public Board Reprimand                              |
|  - Legal Claims: First & Fourteenth Amendments,        |
|    Religious Freedom, Nevada Constitution & Open       |
|    Meeting Law Notice Violations                       |
|  - Relief Sought: Injunction Blocking GP-2 & GP-3,     |
|    Expungement of Aug. 27 Record, Reinstatement, &     |
|    Compensatory/Emotional Distress Damages & Fees      |
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Constitutional Claims and Internal Legal Warnings

In their complaint, Biassotti and Dominguez—both conservative first-term trustees elected in 2024—argue that voters elected them specifically to challenge district orthodoxy and voice independent views on parental rights and student policies.

Biassotti contends the T-shirt reflected her sincerely held religious beliefs and that Stevens weaponized GP-2 and GP-3 to engage in viewpoint discrimination.

While Dominguez was not formally reprimanded, the lawsuit states she owns the same T-shirt, shares Biassotti’s convictions, and has been forced to self-censor on social media and in media interviews out of fear of facing identical board retaliation.

Crucially, the court filing alleges that CCSD’s own legal counsel warned trustees on the record during a March 30 board retreat—five weeks before the policies were approved—that the social media restrictions would fail a constitutional challenge, advising the board that an elected trustee possesses First Amendment protections and that the district was “not going to win” in court.

Open Meeting Law Allegations and Requested Relief

Beyond First Amendment and religious freedom claims, the lawsuit accuses board leadership of violating Nevada’s Open Meeting Law by placing Biassotti’s alleged misconduct on the August 27 agenda without providing mandatory advance written notice.

At the August meeting, Stevens maintained the board was simply enforcing previously approved governance standards rather than punishing personal beliefs.

Biassotti countered during public comment: “I am not your employee, I am not appointed by you, and I will not surrender my constitutional rights to satisfy political disagreements.”

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|             LEGAL REMEDIES & NEXT STEPS                |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  • Injunctive Relief: Permanently bar CCSD from        |
|    enforcing speech restrictions under GP-2 & GP-3     |
|  • Record Expungement: Strike all references to the    |
|    Aug. 27 reprimand from official board minutes       |
|  • Reinstatement: Restore Biassotti as CCSD's envoy    |
|    to the Council of the Great City Schools            |
|  • Jury Trial: Plaintiffs demand a jury trial for      |
|    emotional distress, damages, and legal fees         |
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The lawsuit demands a jury trial, compensatory and emotional distress damages, legal fees, a judicial order striking the August 27 reprimand from board records, and Biassotti’s immediate reinstatement to the Council of the Great City Schools.

Source: Clark County District Court Civil Filings, Clark County School District Board of Trustees Public Agendas & Minutes, Nevada Open Meeting Law Statutes.