The Texas Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a deposition intended to identify the people or group behind the Texas Transgender Student Union. A Travis County district judge had ordered the deposition earlier in the week. The court acted 15 minutes before questioning was to begin, after lawyers for the student union group objected. The court did not explain its reasons, according to Mimi Marziani, a lawyer for the Transgender Education Network of Texas, or TENT.
Marziani said TENT wants to learn who organized the student union, which she said formed in September in Wyoming. The group sent pamphlets to Texas households that used TENT's name and a photo of its members without permission. Marziani said TENT plans to sue some of those responsible. West Texas District Attorney Sarah Stogner has opened a forgery investigation into the mailers. She said the pamphlets appeared designed to motivate conservative voters before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Marziani said TENT is cooperating with that investigation.
Text messages referencing TENT's website were also sent statewide. An earlier deposition ordered by the judge found the texts were sent on behalf of the Republican Women Caucus Fund and an individual named John Braun. Both have denied involvement. Marziani said TENT believes the texts and mailers came from the same source, but acknowledged there is no evidence linking them yet. TENT has until 10 a.m. Monday to respond to the emergency motion, according to the court's order.