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Berkeley teacher ordered to pay legal fees of Republican group’s ex-leader

Yvette Felarca was ordered to pay $11,100 in legal fees to the former head of the Berkeley College Republicans.

An Alameda County Court Commissioner ordered a Berkeley middle school teacher and activist to pay $11,100 in legal fees to the former head of the Berkeley College Republicans after the teacher dropped a demand for a restraining order against the ex-leader of the Republican group.

The tentative court order, issued Thursday, requires Yvette Felarca, national organizer for By Any Means Necessary, a group that led protests against conservative speakers at the UC Berkeley campus in 2017, to pay the attorney and court fees for Troy Worden, the former president of the College Republicans, which promoted the events.

Felarca filed for a civil harrassment restraining order against Worden in September, claiming he was stalking her by following her around on the Cal campus, taking a selfie with her and appearing at BAMN events. Worden denied any wrongdoing.

Under state law, Felarca was granted a temporary restraining order. She dropped the request for a permanent order at the end of October, prompting Worden’s attorneys to seek legal fees.

In his order, Commissioner Thomas Rasch ruled that Felarca’s request for a restraining order “was not brought in good faith” but he denied a request for sanctions against Felarca’s attorney for taking frivolous legal action.

The order evoked strong, and sharply differing responses.

Worden’s attorney Mark Meuser said he hoped the ruling would “send a strong signal (to Felarca) that she cannot abuse the court system to silence speech.” Another one of Worden’s attorneys, Harmeet Dhillon, accused Felarca of “abusing the courts to achieve her anarchistic ends.”

Shanta Driver, Felarca’s attorney, said she would appeal the ruling, saying it sends a message to women that they face a financial risk for seeking protection from harrassment through a restraining order. She said Felarca dropped the request for a permanent restraining order because Worden stopped stalking her after the temporary order was issued.

“This says to every woman out there that if you file for a restraining order, and don’t pursue the case, you are subject to these court fees,” she said.“We can’t have this message given to women, especially now when there are the beginnings of a period where women feel they can go forward against men harrassing them, stalking them, using their power over women.”

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