WASHINGTON — Today, the Heritage Foundation’s Legal Action Center sued the national Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) organization to block it from forcing the Martha Laird Chapter, an 84-year-old chapter based in Mount Pleasant, Texas, to dissolve and hand over its assets after some chapter members objected to the national DAR's policy of allowing biological men to become "Daughters" and members of DAR.
Instead of addressing member concerns, national DAR leadership issued its retaliatory dissolution ultimatum on the Martha Laird Chapter, which has spearheaded efforts to change DAR’s policy. The chapter’s complaint requests a temporary restraining order against national DAR and alleges national DAR's unwarranted actions, if not blocked, would deny the Martha Laird Chapter a fair opportunity to defend itself according to its governing documents and Texas law.
Justin Butterfield, director of Heritage’s Legal Action Center, said:
“This lawsuit is about letting due process and common sense prevail over woke gender ideologies. By objecting to out of touch and authoritarian dictates from leaders in a distant capital, our clients are merely following the courageous example set by America's founding women whose memory DAR was created to keep."
Lea Patterson, Senior Litigation Counsel at Heritage’s Legal Action Center, said:
“The Martha Laird Chapter is being persecuted for daring to state the obvious: women’s organizations should be for women. DAR leadership may disagree with these women, but that does not mean it can take away their organization."
The lawsuit is the first affirmative complaint brought by the Heritage Foundation's Legal Action Center, which was launched earlier this year under the supervision of Heritage Vice-President, and former Department of Justice attorney, Roger Severino. The Legal Action Center's attorneys are also representing the Elizabeth School District in Colorado in its defense against the ACLU’s lawsuit seeking to force the school district to include sexually explicit books in its school libraries.
The Heritage Foundation’s Legal Action Center advocates for liberty through public-interest litigation.
Justin Butterfield and Lea Patterson are admitted in Texas, and any practice within D.C. is limited to matters and proceedings before federal courts and agencies. Roger Severino is admitted in the District of Columbia.
