Group defends signatures collected in petition drive

Lawsuit challenges information provided by signers

‘‘Equality Maryland is doing what they think they have to do,” CRG spokeswoman Michelle Turner said. ‘‘We collected 32,000 signatures and the Board of Elections validated nearly 27,000 of them. We also have backup petitions. We just have to wait and see what the Board of Elections says. We followed the guidelines and all the rules set forth by the Board of Elections and we stand by it.”

At issue is a bill, approved by the County Council and signed by County Executive Isiah Leggett, that would extend anti-discrimination protections to transgendered people.

The lawsuit listed 12 plaintiffs, including two transgendered people identified only as Jane Doe and John Doe for fear of losing their jobs. Enforcement of the anti-discrimination law was put on hold after CRG began the petition drive to put it to a referendum.

After it was passed, CRG created a Web site, www.notmyshower.net, which provided ‘‘inflammatory, inaccurate, misleading and untrue statements about the bill, its proponents, the individuals it protects from discrimination, and its effect if enacted into law,” according to the lawsuit filed by Silver Spring attorney Jonathan S. Shurberg, who was hired by Equality Maryland.

State and county election codes require petitioners to provide ‘‘fair and accurate” information to signers, Shurberg said.

The elections board followed state election law in certifying the signatures, board spokeswoman Marjorie Roher said.