The Mato Grosso do Sul Justice system on Thursday (9) denied Campo Grande Mayor Adriane Lopes's request to remove posts by Deputy Erika Hilton criticizing her administration.
Judge Marcus Abreu de Magalhães of the 12th Civil Court of Campo Grande ruled that there are insufficient elements to order removal of the posts. He cited constitutional protection for freedom of expression and stated that the statements are linked to the exercise of parliamentary mandate.
The conflict began after Adriane Lopes sanctioned a law prohibiting trans women from using female bathrooms in public and private collective spaces. Erika Hilton filed a complaint against the rule with the Procuradoria-Geral da República and criticized the mayor in a May 5 social media post.
Adriane Lopes sought R$ 15,000 in moral damages, alleging defamation. The judge scheduled a conciliation hearing between the parties on a date to be defined and noted that the mayor has not yet presented sufficient evidence that the information is false.