Borrenpohl files federal lawsuit over Coeur d'Alene town hall removal

Teresa Borrenpohl’s removal from a Feb. 22, 2025 town hall at Coeur d’Alene High School is now a federal civil-rights fight, turning one of Kootenai County’s most talked-about political flashpoints into a case that could shape how public dissent is handled in the future.

Borrenpohl filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on May 14, saying the incident violated her constitutional rights. The complaint widens a dispute that began when a legislative town hall organized by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee broke down into chaos and plainclothes security personnel dragged her from the auditorium.

Borrenpohl said she shouted, “Phil Hart stole timber from public land,” during Rep. Ron Mendive’s remarks before she was removed. She also said Sheriff Bob Norris asked whether she wanted to be pepper-sprayed before directing the men to take her out. Police later said footage showed Norris approaching Borrenpohl, trying to pull her from her seat and then gesturing to security personnel, who were not wearing visible security identification.

The new suit names Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris, Brent Regan, LEAR Asset Management and several others. That list underscores how far the fallout from the town hall has spread, from county law enforcement and political organizers to the private security firm whose employees were identified by police as the men who dragged Borrenpohl out.

The criminal case is still part of the backdrop. In April 2025, Coeur d’Alene police filed misdemeanor charges against six men tied to the incident: LEAR employees Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones, along with Michael Keller and Alex Trouette. The charges included battery, false imprisonment and security-agent uniform and duties violations. On Dec. 19, 2025, a jury convicted Paul Trouette of battery against Gregg Johnson and Sarah Forsgren, but found him not guilty of battery against Borrenpohl and Ben Stallings. Jurors also acquitted him of false-imprisonment counts involving Borrenpohl and Johnson.

Borrenpohl also filed a notice of tort claim with Kootenai County on April 21, 2025, seeking at least $5 million in damages. Later, the Idaho Office of the Attorney General said it would not charge Norris, concluding he acted within his authority and in good faith.

For Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County, the stakes now extend beyond one heated town hall. The federal case could influence how local officials manage future meetings, how much force private security can use at civic events and how much taxpayer exposure follows when a confrontation in a public auditorium becomes prolonged litigation.