OMAHA, Neb. (CN) — A Nebraska state senator is suing a conservative political action committee for defamation after it called her a groomer on Twitter.
According to the complaint filed in Douglas County District Court on Wednesday, the Nebraska Freedom Coalition called state Senator Megan Hunt a "groomer" in a Tweet published March 22, which included childhood photos of her now 13-year-old, transgender son. The group also published a tweet on March 24 in which it described the Democratic lawmaker's "skills" as " grooming children, including her own.”
The tweets were published after Hunt shared that her son was transgender on the floor of the Legislature during a debate on a measure that would restrict gender-affirming care for those younger than 19.
The proposal was the flashpoint of a nearly session-long filibuster led by Omaha Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, aided by progressive allies like Hunt, that drastically slowed the unicameral legislature's business this past session, which started in January and ended earlier this month.
The contentious session that climaxed with the Legislature passing a bill that both restricted gender-affirming care for minors and banned abortion at 12 weeks. Republican Governor Jim Pillen signed the bill in May.
Hunt says the tweets have caused her emotional distress and made her fear for her and her child's physical safety.
"These malicious and false lies about Hunt had vicious consequences," the complaint states. "After the Coalition’s posts accusing Hunt of abusing and grooming her child she was called a groomer on Twitter no fewer than 231 times. She received 25 phones calls calling her a groomer and/or pedophile, and 34 emails accusing her of the same and often unfit to be a mother. One email suggested that Hunt’s genitalia should be cut off and threatened physical harm. Another indicated that she should be publicly executed while another provided her home address and stated her son should be kidnapped."
The Coalition, which says its mission is :to coordinate and champion Nebraska's liberty-grassroots organizations; to elect strong, liberty-minded constitutionally conservative candidates; and to support initiatives that hold those in power accountable," did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Hunt is represented by Adam Morfeld, a former state senator, of the Nebraska Legal Action Fund.
“What's happening to Senator Hunt is a trend across the country of accusing people of being sexual predators with no basis in fact," Morfeld told Courthouse News. "So far, they have gotten away with it with impunity and we are bringing accountability.”
The complaint notes that in 2020, Mattieo Condoluci, was killed by a vigilante not far from Hunt's home because he was a convicted pedophile. Any reasonable person would experience distress over such accusations, it says.
“Calling someone a pedophile, and having no basis in truth to it, can lead to people being killed," Morfeld said. "You simply cannot make these accusations child abuse, grooming and pedophilia without having any consequences.”
Hunt and Nebraska Legal Action demanded a retraction. But the lobbying group responded by tweeting that said she was advocating for the right to chop the breasts off her son. That tweet was still pinned to the top of the Coalition's Twitter account as of Wednesday evening.
The complaint also names Malia Shirley, Patrick Peterson and Robert Anthony, who are officers of the Coalition, as defendants.
Use of the word "grooming" among conservatives in connection to the transgender community has gained traction over the past year.
Hunt is not asking for a specific monetary award.
‘“She was threatened with death. She was told that her genitalia should be cut off, she had her address posted online telling people to about her child. This is serious," Morfeld said. "We are going to be asking the jury what kind of monetary value would you put on your reparation as a mother that experienced this kind of harassment and physical threats to their life and their child’s life.”
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