Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl

Teresa Borrenpohl, EdD
Former Democratic candidate for Idaho House of Representatives

“Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle. Women deserve a voice” – Teresa Borrenpohl, on why she spoke out at a GOP Coeur D’Alene town hall

Teresa Borrenpohl is a former Democratic candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives and an education advocate. On February 22, she attended a GOP town hall in Coeur D’Alene, at which local lawmakers were praising their anti-abortion laws and other legislation. A number of participants cheered or jeered in response to the lawmakers: “Women are dying,” one person in the audience shouted. “And doctors are leaving our state!” another yelled. A moderator tried to quiet the crowd, scolding people for “popping off with stupid remarks.” But when Dr. Borrenpohl yelled, “Is this a town hall or a lecture?” the county sheriff, Bob Norris, directed three unidentified private security workers to remove her while she sat calmly in her seat. As she was forcibly dragged out, she shouted, “Women deserve a voice!”

Borrenpohl was initially cited and released for misdemeanor battery because she bit one of the men who was dragging her; however, that charge was dropped after Coeur D’Alene police chief Lee White viewed videos of the event. Sheriff Norris then asked that Borrenpohl be arrested for trespassing, but White declined, since the town hall was a public event. He later dismissed all charges against Borrenpohl. Subsequently, CEO Paul Trouette of the Lear Asset Management security company was charged, along with five of his employees, with misdemeanor battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements for their forcible removal of Borrenpohl at the town hall. 

Borrenpohl commonly attends public meetings to engage with public officials. The February town hall was advertised by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee as an opportunity to meet state lawmakers and learn about the upcoming legislative session. “I was there that day because it was advertised as a public town hall, and I was eager to ensure that my voice was heard along with everyone else in the room,” she said after the event.

What is protected speech?

The controversy over Borrenpohl’s forcible removal hinges on free speech: does the first amendment guarantee the right to speak out, even if it “disrupts” a meeting or discussion? 

As the US Congress puts it, “Content-based regulation of speech is generally subject to strict scrutiny and presumptively unconstitutional. The Supreme Court considers viewpoint-based regulation of speech to be an egregious form of content discrimination. A law is viewpoint-based when it regulates speech based on its specific motivating ideology or the speaker’s opinion or perspective.” The United States Courts point out that the first amendment does not protect speech that “incites imminent lawless action,” but does protect speech such as “certain offensive words and phrases to convey political messages.” Using speech to “disrupt” a public meeting seems clearly to fall in the latter category.

 In the wake of the incident, Democratic State Representative Lauren Necochea said, “Town halls are a strong tradition of American democracy. When politicians refuse to engage with their constituents, they betray the freedoms they swore to uphold.” She added, "If we can’t question leaders elected to represent us without fear of reprisal, we are not free." She criticized the town hall organizers for not allowing dialogue and condemned the physical removal of Borrenpohl: "Idaho deserves better." 

Police Chief White said in a statement: “I don’t care what your message is, especially in an open town hall like this. We have to respect everybody’s First Amendment rights, regardless of what side of the aisle you happen to sit on. I know there’s some people up here who probably disagree with me and would like us to take action and maybe try to silence a voice that’s in opposition to theirs at a town hall, but there’s very little we can do with regard to First Amendment protections. We have to make sure people have the protections afforded them under the Constitution.” 

However, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee posted a video of White telling protesters at a different town meeting that they would be removed if they were disruptive. The KCRCC argued that White does not apply the law equally.

Still, even some Idaho Republicans thought Norris went too far: “North Idaho Republicans (NIR) supports free speech, whether one likes what is being said or not. NIR condemns the dreadful manner in which events at the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) Legislative Town Hall were handled, which clearly appears to include the assault of a woman attendee.” 

CEO Trouette of Lear Asset Management disagrees: he took an anti-free speech position and argued that the first amendment does not protect “disruptive” speech. He called the charges against him and his employees “misguided [and] false,” and said “the Constitution provides freedom of speech, but it does not provide a license to be disruptive.”

In April, Borrenpohl filed suit against Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris and KCRCC Chair Brent Regan, as well as Lear Asset Management, CEO Trouette, and the five security guards. “Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,” Borrenpohl said in a statement.

Borrenpohl has a history of activism: she ran as a Democrat for the Idaho House of Representatives in 2020, 2022, and 2024. She worked at North Idaho College (NIC) as the enrollment manager; during the past several years, amid NIC’s accreditation crisis, she vocally criticized three former NIC trustees who were backed by the Kootenai County GOP. Her activism has brought public critique: the Kootenai Journal published a list of her alleged “troublemaking,” including an accusation of pulling a false fire alarm during a very contentious Board of Trustees meeting, but offered no evidence supporting these claims. She has also been an activist fighting for school funds, and for making college accessible. Most recently, she worked at the University of Washington in Spokane.

Teresa Borrenpohl is an example of an ordinary patriot who is willing to keep speaking out even when living in a conservative area where few support her or agree with her. Her persistence in presenting an alternative political view is the essence of what upholding the right to free speech looks like.