Lea Patterson

“DAR headquarters tried to punish its members for speaking out, shut down legitimate debate, and strip a chapter of its assets without a fair process. These women followed DAR’s own procedures to advocate for change. They deserve to be heard, not punished for standing up for their convictions.”

Lea Patterson · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-09

Patterson continued criticizing DAR headquarters for punishing members who spoke out and advocated for change.

“National DAR leadership tried to silence these women by disbanding their 84-year-old chapter. We are grateful the court has stepped in to protect the chapter while this fight continues.”

Lea Patterson · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-09

Patterson wrote that the court's order was an important victory for the Martha Laird Chapter.

“The court's order is an important victory for the Martha Laird Chapter and the women who stood up for the principle that a women’s organization should be for women,”

Lea Patterson · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-09

The Heritage Foundation's Legal Action Center represented the Texas chapter in suing the national DAR organization.