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Goud Maragani Sues Equality Utah, Troy Williams for loss of job
In a highly charged legal dispute, attorney Goud Maragani has filed a lawsuit against Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah, along with the organization itself and its foundation. The lawsuit, filed in Utah’s Third District Court, alleges that Williams and Equality Utah engaged in a deliberate campaign to defame Maragani, interfere with his employment, and cause significant emotional distress. The complaint seeks damages exceeding $300,000, as well as punitive damages and attorney fees.
Maragani is the former president of the now-dissolved Log Cabin Republicans of Utah and chair of the Utah gay-Straight Coalition.
Maragani is partly represented by attorneys from America First Legal Foundation, a right-wing nonprofit led by Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump. The organization, founded three years ago, primarily focuses on opposing policies implemented by President Joe Biden’s administration.
Maragani’s Background
Goud Maragani moved to the Salt Lake Valley in 2020 to take a position with Lucid Software. He ran for Salt Lake County Clerk in 2022 and House District 48 earlier this year, losing both races. He is one of 200 members of the Utah Republican Party’s State Central Committee.
Maragani, who says he identifies as gay, Christian, and a racial minority as an Indian American, has publicly opposed several of Equality Utah’s positions, particularly those relating to transgender issues. His opposition includes resistance to policies that allow transgender minors to transition, biological males participating in female sports, and the use of female restrooms and locker rooms by transgender women.
Maragani is known for aggressive, name-calling posts against those with whom he disagrees.
Some of the names he calls Williams include “#MascaraTroy” who promotes “anti-family, pro-trans-ing children policies,” “too busy applying his #mascara and glitter, getting ready for another ‘exclusive’ at the gov’s mansion.” He regularly called transgender activist Sue Robbins, “Boy Named Sue” while she was working with the group during the legislative session.
He regularly throws the term “groomers” at Williams, Robbins, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Rep. Nate Blouin, senators Jennifer Plumb, Todd Weiler, and Daniel Thatcher, Utah State School Board member Sarah Reale, and Equality Utah.
Last year, the national Log Cabin Republicans political organization dissolved its Utah chapter, saying then-president Maragani was “promoting discord within the greater [Log Cabin Republican] community, as well as within the Utah Republican Party.” The chapter had been active for at least 30 years.
Maragani then created the Utah GayStraight Coalition, which largely reposts his messages on their social media.
Allegations in the Lawsuit
The lawsuit accuses Williams and Equality Utah of intentionally defaming Maragani, portraying him in a false light, and using improper means to interfere with his employment at Lucid Software, where he was employed in the General Counsel’s Office. The complaint asserts that Williams made reckless and defamatory statements with the intent to damage Maragani’s reputation and career. According to the lawsuit, the conflict began in July, 2023, when Maragani posted on social media about a policy issue related to transgender individuals’ use of women’s locker rooms — a position that was in direct opposition to that of Equality Utah.
“Have you noticed that @TroyWilliamsUT & @EqualityUtah are quiet on the issue of men in women’s locker rooms?” the post read. “Cat got their tongue or is Troy too busy applying his #mascara and glitter, getting ready for another ‘exclusive’ at the gov’s mansion?”
On August 1, 2023, Williams allegedly sent an email to Kat Judd, Manager of Human Resources at Lucid, expressing concern over what he described as Maragani’s “bizarre and disturbing obsession” with Equality Utah and its staff. The email, as cited in the lawsuit, questioned whether Lucid would remain a safe environment for a transgender speaker scheduled to train employees and implied that Maragani’s rhetoric could endanger transgender individuals in Utah.
Williams’ email read:
“I’m writing out of concern from a member of the Lucid team who has been engaging in disturbing behavior toward us. Goud Maragani is demonstrating a bizarre and disturbing obsession with me and our Equality Utah team. I know that we have another training set upon August 11th with our transgender trainer, Olivia Jaramillo. I’m concerned that he will begin to attack her as well. Is Lucid going to be a safe environment for her? Can we jump on a call this week and talk through this? This is just a small sample of the bile that Gould [sic] regularly posts. And while Equality Utah was at the GOP convention building bridges with delegates, he was passing out vile, offensive and misleading flyers about our organization. I’m very worried that his extreme transphobic rhetoric may also endanger transgender people throughout the state. Thank you for considering this request to talk.”
The lawsuit claims that Williams continued to send emails to Lucid’s HR department, attaching screenshots of Maragani’s social media posts and escalating his accusations.
Williams’ second email read:
“Sorry, I forgot to include one more tweet (there are so many to choose from). Goud sent this thru his LCR account, viciously speculating that Sue Robbins, a transgender advocate who works closely with Equality Utah, simply has a sexual fetish. Goud has been regularly advancing a “grooming” narrative, to demonize transgender people, and positioning them as a threat to children. These tweets put our community in danger. They are cruel, disgusting and dehumanizing.”
Williams also forwarded these allegations to media outlets, resulting in coverage by major news organizations.
Impact on Maragani’s Employment
Maragani, in the lawsuit, claims the actions of Williams and Equality Utah led to significant professional consequences for Maragani. The complaint states that Maragani was summoned to a meeting with Lucid’s HR department on August 7, 2023, where he was warned about the potential impact of his social media activities on his employment. During the meeting, Maragani defended his right to express his views outside of work hours, noting that he had kept his political activities separate from his professional duties. Despite this, the HR department expressed concerns about how his views could conflict with Lucid’s values and its relationship with Equality Utah, which had partnered with the company on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
On August 9, 2023, Maragani received an email from Lucid HR reiterating these concerns and warning him that continued social media activity in conflict with the company’s values could lead to termination. The lawsuit claims that this was followed by a negative mid-term performance review, starkly different from previous evaluations, which ultimately culminated in Maragani’s termination on October 13, 2023. The lawsuit argues that this termination was a direct result of the defamatory campaign orchestrated by Williams and Equality Utah.
Further Allegations and Claims for Relief
In addition to defamation and tortious interference, Maragani’s lawsuit accuses Williams and Equality Utah of intentional infliction of emotional distress. The complaint alleges that the defendants engaged in a sustained and deliberate effort to cause Maragani harm by making false accusations and perpetuating a public narrative that painted him as dangerous and unhinged. The complaint also references a tweet from April 2024 in which Williams allegedly referred to Maragani as “not well” and compared him to “Gout inflammation that goes away.”
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the harm caused to Maragani’s reputation, career, and emotional well-being. It also demands attorney fees and costs associated with the legal action. Williams, Equality Utah, and Maragani refused requests for comment on this story. America First Legal Foundation did not respond to a request for comment.
