Teresa Borrenpohl, the woman who was dragged from the Coeur d’Alene High School auditorium last February after she shouted out during a legislative town hall, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, alleging that the removal violated her constitutional rights.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, names Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris and Kootenai County Republican Central Committee Chair Brent Regan in their individual capacities, as well as security company owner Paul Trouette, his employees and his business. 

The civil complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be proved at trial, as well as attorney’s fees and “all such other relief as the court deems just and equitable.” 

Norris did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday evening. Regan indicated he had no comment on the matter. 

The suit stems from Feb. 22, 2025, when more than 400 people gathered in the CHS auditorium for a town hall featuring North Idaho legislators and presented by the KCRCC. 

According to the complaint, Norris, Regan and personnel with Lear Asset Management, including Trouette, “collaborated together to create a joint plan to remove or silence any individuals expressing views” critical of the central committee, the Republican Party or any featured speakers. This plan included plainclothes security personnel “making unwelcome physical contact” with people who expressed critical views. 

Borrenpohl was one of several attendees who spoke out of turn and criticized the legislators on the stage. 

Video recordings showed Norris approach Borrenpohl and tell her to leave the event. When she refused, he took hold of her arm and tried to pull her from her seat, then threatened to pepper-spray her. He then directed security personnel to remove her. 

The security team who removed Borrenpohl included Trouette, Cristofer Berg, Russell Dunne and Jesse Jones. The men wore plainclothes and refused to identify themselves as they hauled Borrenpohl from her seat and wrestled her to the ground. One sat on top of her, while another knelt on her back. 

When the men dragged Borrenpohl from the auditorium by her arms, she lost her shoes and her shirt came up, fully exposing her bra. 

“Ms. Borrenpohl was fearful for her safety throughout the time the men assaulted her,” the complaint said, adding that she feared she was being kidnapped by the unidentified men. 

The dragging left Borrenpohl with scratches and bruises, according to the complaint, and she experienced emotional distress that continued long after the town hall. 

“She has continued to suffer emotional injury that required her to take leave from her work and impacted her day-to-day functioning,” the complaint said. 

The complaint alleges that Norris and the security team violated Borrenpohl’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure when they took her into custody without probable cause and that they used excessive force against her. 

Norris allegedly violated Borrenpohl’s Fourteenth Amendment due process right when he directed unidentified men without law enforcement training to remove her from the auditorium, according to the complaint. 

Though other attendees spoke out of turn, “no other person was physically grabbed and removed” from the event as Borrenpohl was, according to the complaint. The suit alleges that Norris and Regan caused Borrenpohl’s removal for expressing critical views of the government speakers but not did not remove attendees who spoke out in support of the legislators. 

In doing so, the complaint contends, Norris and Regan violated Borrenpohl’s First Amendment right to free speech. 

“Government action that targets a particular viewpoint is an egregious form of content discrimination,” the complaint said. 

Within days of the town hall, the city of Coeur d’Alene revoked Trouette’s business license. 

In December, a Kootenai County jury found that Trouette battered two people who spoke out against Borrenpohl’s removal from the town hall but committed no crimes against Borrenpohl herself. The jury also convicted Trouette of security agent and uniform violations.

The Idaho Office of Attorney General investigated complaints that Norris committed battery during the town hall. According to a letter published in November, the office “did not uncover evidence that the sheriff acted in bad faith or with malice” and thus could not be charged with battery under Idaho law.