An Idaho woman says her right to free speech was violently “stripped” away when she was forcibly removed by three unidentified men at a town hall led by a local Republican committee, who described the woman as disruptive.
The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee identified Teresa Borrenpohl as a woman who was on video being dragged out of the committee’s town hall Saturday. In a Facebook post, the committee said Borrenpohl “shouted down legislators with insults” and disrupted the town hall several times before being asked to leave.
Video of the incident posted online showed the moments before the altercation where the host of the event appeared to scold audience members who were “popping off” with “stupid remarks.”
A woman, now identified as Borrenpohl, shouted “is this a town hall or a lecture” multiple times in response.
The video showed a man with a sheriff’s hat tell the woman to leave or be arrested. The man identified himself as Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris.
“We’re asking you to leave on video, please get up or be escorted out,” Norris said in the video.
Borrenpohl refused to leave and Norris pulled at her arm multiple times in an attempt to remove her. He then instructs men wearing black clothing to remove her.
In the video, Borrenpohl repeatedly asked the men who they were, but they did not answer. Norris was seen a few steps away holding a phone, apparently filming the incident as the men in black grab at Borrenpohl.
She also asked Norris if they were deputies, but he did not respond. Norris shouted at her to go as she called out accusing the men of assaulting her. Borrenpohl was then physically dragged out of her seat and onto the floor.
Brent Regan, chairman of the committee, said that Borrenpohl was removed by “licensed and bonded professional security” after interrupting the town hall at least seven times. He accused her of having a history of disrupting meetings.
All of the town hall attendees were told that they would be removed if they did not “respect the rights of others,” Regan said.
“None of this would have happened if Borrenpohl had been respectful of others,” Regan said. “Her failure to follow the simple rules of decorum caused an 18 minute delay in the meeting and reduced the number of questions the legislators had time to answer.”
Regan also alleged that Borrenpohl was cited for trespass and battery over an accusation that she bit one of the men who removed her. NBC News has reached out to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for more information.
The security company, LEAR Asset Management, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Borrenpohl released a statement to NBC News affiliate KTVB.
“I could have never imagined my right to free speech and my right to assemble could be stripped in such a violent way,” the statement said. “Due to the sensitivity and shock of the matter, I am unable to speak on this situation immediately, but I will make my voice heard when the time is appropriate.”
A GoFundMe was started for Borrenpohl’s legal costs and raised more than $94,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea in a statement accused the event organizers of not allowing dialogue between the legislators and constituents.
“It is a very sad day when a woman who voices dissent is physically grabbed out of a public venue by unidentified men while the event moderator belittles and taunts her,” Necochea said. “Idaho deserves better.”
Megan Kunz and Tamara Sines-Kermelis, who were at the town hall, told KTVB that no one knew who the men dressed in black were as they grabbed Borrenpohl. The two also said they felt as if Norris escalated the situation.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Both Kunz and Sines-Kermelis told KTVB that the energy of the town hall was charged, and that there were several people shouting, but alleged that only those who disagreed with the panel were reprimanded.
“This is America, and this is happening in our country, and this isn’t an isolated incident within our country; dissent and free speech are being stifled, and so I think it’s important for people just to see and hear that this is occurring,” Kunz said.
Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White told the Coeur d’Alene Press, a local newspaper, that his department was in the parking lot at the time and only learned about the incident after Borrenpohl was removed.
“We have to respect everybody’s First Amendment rights, regardless of what side of the aisle you happen to sit on,” White told the newspaper. “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.”
