CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Wyoming's former superintendent, who claimed a Casper lawmaker defamed her in a Facebook post.

The judge called the Facebook post at question the exact type of statement the First Amendment intends to protect.

Cindy Hill claimed that Tim Stubson, a onetime Casper state representative, wrote a post that continued a pattern of malicious conduct against her.

She had filed the suit in February 2016 as Stubson was challenging Liz Cheney for a U.S. House seat.

Stubson says he is relieved the case is behind him. He says the case was important because people need to be free to criticize their elected officials.

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